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The Chicago Bears have finished training camp.
From the start of camp in July, through three preseason games and two joint practices, we’ve finally arrived at the regular season.
Everything the Bears have worked on in the offseason and preseason will be tested when it matters most.
"We’ve got some good, talented players," Bears head coach Ben Johnson said on Tuesday. "The objective is to win. It's to win now."
Here’s where the Bears stand as training camp comes to an end.
What we know:
We’re through 20 practices. The Bears went through install on both sides of the ball, and they’ve seen both the good and bad of that installation process.
There have been some good moments: the scoring drives in the preseason games vs. Buffalo and Kansas City, the success in specific practice days and the successes in two joint practices. But, the bad still lingers more than anything. Mostly because the struggles leave the Bears with lingering questions.
The Bears’ defense outperformed the offense for most of training camp. That same defense took a punch to the mouth against the Chiefs in the third game of the preseason. Even a storybook ending with Tyson Bagent and Jahdae Walker doesn’t diminish the struggles from the starters in that game. The offense, which has eliminated some concepts and zeroed in on what works, still has pre-snap issues.
The Chiefs’ game was an example of this. The first-team offense mustered one score in three drives against Kansas City’s first-team defense. Quarterback Caleb Williams led a touchdown drive in a two-minute drill against the KC second-team defense, which is a positive.
But, Johnson knows it needs to be better.
"The slow start, that's not what we want to be about," Johnson said on Tuesday. "I felt that in practice at times over the course of camp. We are on a mission right now to make sure that doesn't become a constant recurring theme as we go into the season. Like anything, you bring it to their attention – we've got a bunch of pros and a bunch of prideful guys and we'll get this thing fixed."
The only issue is that the Bears have run out of camp practices. The real thing is around the corner, on primetime no less.
So, where can the Bears hang their hat?
In 20 practices, they say they’ve nailed the language. The offense has the words down.
"We're speaking the language, with the calls, together," Bears guard Joe Thuney said. "Everybody being on the same page and seeing the game the same way. It's going really well. But, everyone's striving for improvement all of the time."
Now, the execution comes after that. The Bears might have to be okay with some more patience after that.
"To be honest with you, we might have to ebb and flow a little bit after that opening game," Johnson said after the final preseason game. "Usually, it will take up until the bye week. I think it is placed at just the right time to identify who we are and what we are going to be for the rest of the season."
The other side:
The defense, however, stands to benefit much more quickly.
NFL defenses always have the advantage early on in a season. There’s more time to prepare for an opposing offense, especially the ones that have been in the league for a while. This applies to the Bears’ Week 1 opponent in the Minnesota Vikings, as the Bears have been facing head coach Kevin O’Connell since 2022.
The Bears’ defense will challenge quarterback J.J. McCarthy in his first-career start in the NFL. McCarthy, who missed all of last season with a knee injury and was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, will be another quarterback who will be compared to the Bears’ Williams. Still, the Bears will have a chance to welcome McCarthy to the NFL.
The Bears will try and welcome the second-year quarterback with their defensive mentality instilled in 20 practices by defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
That mentality is simple: Be tougher than the other team, and be ready for what they throw at you.
"A more physical team, that's who we want to be," Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. said. "It's more than just being a more physical team, but also being the most prepared team and all of those situations that we go over and stuff like that. Just knowing that we'll be prepared when it's our time to go out there."
What's next:
The Bears are now entering game-preparation mode. Week 1 is approaching quickly. Monday Night Football will be here on Sept. 8.
Before then, the Bears need to figure out a few things. Reporters asked Johnson those questions on Tuesday: Namely, is Jaylon Johnson on track for Week 1? What will the running back room look like? Has anyone emerged as the starting left tackle?
"I'm not ready to talk about starters yet," Johnson said.
Soon, however, he’ll have to. Johnson has been open about the fact that someone will have to start at left tackle on Sept. 8. If you read the tea leaves, it’ll most likely be Braxton Jones. If that’s the case, it might not stay that way.
The way Week 1 arrives for these Bears means it could be a test. Not just of where they are in Johnson’s first year, but what their ceiling actually is. The Vikings were a game away from winning the NFC North last season. Just because McCarthy starts at quarterback doesn’t mean the rest of the team becomes less.
The Bears – struggles, successes and all – will be on display on national television on Sept. 8.
We’ll all find out what that looks like in real time.
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