The Carolina Panthers made several decisions that were certainly logical on Sunday. Chief among them was gearing their entire defensive game plan around stopping tight end Colston Loveland from getting the football. It worked. The budding star was left without a catch. However, that seemed to come at the cost of everything else. The running game went crazy, and seven different receivers caught passes. While everybody was preoccupied with the offensive onslaught, it was easy to miss another Panthers strategy that was deployed in the game. They purposely kicked away from Zavion Thomas all day.
Chicago had their 3rd round pick on the field as a return man for kickoffs. That is hardly surprising after he scored three touchdowns in college. Apparently, Carolina was aware of that, too. They had no intention of letting him touch the football. Of the six kickoffs made in the game, two were touchbacks, and cornerback Josh Blackwell, the other returner on the field, received four. It was one of the few strategies the Panthers used that worked as intended. It also likely served as a lesson for the Bears.
Other teams are sure to avoid Zavion Thomas, too.
They aren’t dumb. They saw his speed on full display last month when he torched Tennessee with a 99-yard touchdown reception. His speed is of the elite tier. Combine that with good vision, and you have the makings of a great return man. The Bears should know. They saw the same thing with Devin Hester. Like before, teams are already seeking ways to avoid letting him touch the ball. That means Chicago’s coaching staff must start looking for ways to give them no other choice.
Perhaps the first solution would be putting another credible return option on the field. With all due respect to Blackwell, that has never been his strength. Kalif Raymond has long been a great return man with previous teams. Putting him back there alongside Zavion Thomas would force opponents into a tough decision. Get the ball to a guy who for sure knows how to scorch you, or take your chances on the explosive rookie. Another possibility is crafting plays that see Blackwell get the ball to Thomas.
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#Bears 3rd-round rookie WR Zavion Thomas in tonight’s preseason finale:
• 5 catches on 5 targets
• 140 receiving yards
• 1 TD
• 39-yard KR
• 22-yard PR pic.twitter.com/jETVc56i5F
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 30, 2026
The Bears are taking a familiar approach with Thomas.
It may seem unusual that the team didn’t get him more involved on offense. However, it shouldn’t have been. We saw last season that Ben Johnson prefers to bring rookies along slowly during a season. You saw it with both Colston Loveland and Luther Burden last season. Neither really got going until the second half of 2025. Johnson would sprinkle them into games, getting them vital experience. Once he was confident they had a good grasp of their responsibilities, he took the leash off.
Thomas is likely getting the same treatment. Don’t forget he missed the first two preseason games due to an injury. He is likely behind others in terms of understanding his responsibilities on offense. It may take a couple of weeks for that gap to close. Until then, he will remain their primary return man. The good news is the Bears don’t need his help just yet. They have plenty of firepower. They can afford to take their time until they’re sure he is ready.
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