Bears endure bruising training camp session with touchdowns at both ends
Chicago Bears held a physically intense practice on Tuesday, resulting in several injuries and a pair of touchdowns that capped the session, while coaches rotated players across the line and secondary.
Head coach Ben Johnson described Tuesday’s session as the longest and most physical practice of the camp, noting that the intensity led to multiple players leaving the field. Injuries reported included left tackle Braxton Jones, defensive end Montez Sweat, cornerback Dallis Flowers and safety Gervarrius Owens; safety Jaylon Jones also missed the latter part of the drill, though the cause was not confirmed.
Observers described the practice as “chippy,” with frequent shoving and a few skirmishes. The 7-on-9 run drills were so aggressive that D’Marco Jackson required a new facemask after a blitz play.
The first live 11-on-11 play ended with a 43-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Caleb Williams to Rome Odunze, who broke a tackle by Cam Lewis. The final play saw the Bears drive 65 yards, culminating in a Williams pass to Luther Burden for a touchdown.
Kicker Cairo Santos made six field goals ranging from 33 to 56 yards, and the long-snapper rotation continued. Defensive highlights included flashes from Austin Booker, Gervon Dexter and Dayo Odeyingbo, while wide receiver Kaden Davis was praised for three strong catches.
With Jones sidelined, Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills Jr. shared left-tackle duties. Daniel Hardy filled in at defensive end for Sweat, and Dayo Odeyingbo saw time at both defensive end and tackle. Rookie defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg displayed notable raw power in one-on-one drills, and rookie Malik Muhammad participated in nickel packages.
Safety Cam Lewis worked at corner, and Anthony Johnson Jr. received reps with the starting safety group. Undrafted free agent Skyler Thomas also saw action at safety, while defensive coordinator Dennis Allen rotated several defensive backs throughout the drills.