Category: Latest Bears News

Bears facing uncertainty at right guard amid Nate Davis concerns

Matt Eberflus sounded unsure about how the Bears starting right guard job will shake out amid questions about Nate Davis.

The Chicago Bears are facing questions along the interior offensive that extend beyond the competition at center between newcomers Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton.

At the center of those concerns is guard Nate Davis, who signed a three-year, $30 million deal last offseason to serve as the team’s starting right guard. But it’s been anything but smooth sailing for the veteran.

Davis, who played in just 11 games in 2023, has been a spectator this offseason during OTAs. But he was back at practice, in limited capacity, on Wednesday as he ramps up after missing OTAs.

This offseason, Davis, Bates and Matt Pryor have split reps at right guard as the team has had to pivot in Davis’ absence. While those opportunities provide flexibility along the offensive line, the frustrating aspect is the Bears paid Davis handsomely, while also forcing another position change on Teven Jenkins.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus said the expectation is Davis will be the team’s starting right guard this season and believes he’ll be ready to go for training camp. But Eberflus didn’t exactly sound confident about how the right guard position will shake out.

“Yeah, don’t know yet,” he said Wednesday. “I really don’t know. We’ll see. We’ll see how it goes. I’m just thinking through my head a bunch of multiple combinations. I really don’t know exactly. Sure, we had Bates there. He’s played there. Shelton has played at center, of course. Davis has played there. (Jenkins) has been on the other side. Pryor has been in and been out. The versatility there has certainly been helpful. Ryan (Poles) did a really good job of having those pieces in there so we don’t like last year or prior years, you know, a guy goes down and we’re like, ‘Oh, what are we going to do?’ At least we have that flexibility at the O-line position.”

At this point, it sounds like the only positions solidified along the offensive line are left tackle Braxton Jones, left guard Teven Jenkins and right tackle Darnell Wright.

Bears’ Jaylon Johnson motivated to be ‘best corner in the league’

Bears CB Jaylon Johnson earned a well-deserved payday this offseason, but his motivation remains the same heading into the 2024 season.

Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson earned a well-deserved contract extension this offseason after proving his worth as a cornerstone of this defense moving forward.

Johnson is coming off a career year with Chicago, where he reeled in a career-high four interceptions, 36 tackles and 10 pass breakups in 14 games while also emerging as a top cover cornerback in the NFL. Johnson earned his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods for his impressive 2023 campaign.

The payoff was a four-year, $76 million contract extension that keeps him with the Bears through 2027. Despite getting paid, Johnson remains motivated to prove himself in the league.

His goal? “Being the best corner in the league,” Johnson said.

Johnson is certainly well on his way to getting there, especially coming off an impressive 2023 season where he was the highest-graded cornerback (90.8), according to Pro Football Focus.

But Johnson remains focused on the task at hand and continuing to work toward consistently being a top cornerback in the game.

“Discipline and daily work habits,” Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said. “That’s what he has done, and he showed that he had an area he needed to work on, and he got better at it. So, he showed determination and then he really showed his devotion and love for the game.”

Johnson will be a key leader among a young, ascending Bears defense looking to make a statement this season.

Photos from second day of Chicago Bears 2024 minicamp

The Bears conducted their second minicamp practice on Wednesday. Take a look at the action:

The Chicago Bears were back on the practice field for mandatory minicamp at Halas Hall.

Chicago conducted their second of three practices on Wednesday, which was open to the media and provided plenty of highlights, including quarterback Caleb Williams connecting with wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. on a deep touchdown during 7-on-7.

Here’s a look at some photos from Wednesday’s practice:

Bears 2024 minicamp Day 2: Cole Kmet, Braxton Jones held out of practice

The Bears completed their second minicamp practice, but two starters on offense did not participate.

Day 2 of mandatory minicamp is in the books for the Chicago Bears, and a few prominent veterans on offense who were out there on Tuesday did not practice on Wednesday.

Tight end Cole Kmet and offensive tackle Braxton Jones were held out of practice on Wednesday. Other players who did not participate include wide receivers Tyler Scott and Dante Pettis and offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie, according to NBC Sports Chicago’s Josh Schrock.

Though Kmet and Jones did not practice, head coach Matt Eberflus said there was no cause for concern as both players were held out for precautionary reasons. “Today, you saw that Cole and Braxton didn’t practice; again, that’s just precautionary,” Eberflus told reporters after practice. “When guys feel a certain way, certain thing, they get with the trainers; just work on that so they can get ready for summer conditioning because that’s coming up here pretty shortly.”

According to CHGO’s Adam Hoge, Kmet got banged up during Tuesday’s practice but still finished the session. Kmet made a nice leaping catch in the middle of the field on a pass from quarterback Caleb Williams during that practice.

Though some players were out, there was good news regarding defensive end Montez Sweat and guard Nate Davis. Both players returned to team drills after they sat out during Tuesday’s practice.

The Bears have just one more day of minicamp before they depart Halas Hall for an extended period of time.

Keenan Allen says Bears defense looks like a ‘top 5’ unit

New Bears WR Keenan Allen had high praise for Chicago’s defense.

New Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen practiced for the first time at Halas Hall on Tuesday to kick off mandatory minicamp, where he got his first glimpse of this Chicago defense.

As evidenced by last year’s training camp practices, the Bears defense — which returns most of its key starters from a year ago — is a vocal, boisterous group. And Allen experienced it firsthand.

The offense had its ups and downs during Tuesday’s practice, where they were solid during 11-on-11 and 7-on-7. But the defense dominated during both two-minute drills, forcing two three-and-outs. They definitely left an impression on Allen.

“They look like a top 5 defense,” he said. “They sound like a top 5 defense, too. Defenses are annoying, especially at practice. You just hear them every time they make a play. It’s hooray celebration. These guys are running up and down the sideline. So it’s annoying.

“Offense we get a first down. One guy just trots around. He comes back to the huddle. Everybody is like, ‘OK, what’s the next play?’ You don’t really see too much: ‘YEAHHHHHH!’ You don’t really get all that just because somebody did a rip-through and got back to the quarterback. So it is what it is. Their energy, the way they communicate, the way they get lined up,  definitely high-class.”

While the spotlight has been on rookie Caleb Williams and the offense this offseason, the defense is positioning itself to be a top unit in the NFL this season.

Despite a rough start to the 2023 season, Chicago finished the year as a top five defense. They return cornerstones cornerback Jaylon Johnson and defensive end Montez Sweat, one of the best linebacker groups with Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards and have a young secondary that could emerge as a top group in the league.

The offense is talented in its own right — with one of the league’s best receiver trios, a highly-touted rookie quarterback and other weapons — which should make for some entertaining battles this summer. In the end, iron sharpens iron.

Bears WR Keenan Allen ready to prove himself in contract year

Bears WR Keenan Allen said he’s ok with playing out his current one-year deal before a potential contract extension.

The Chicago Bears made a splash when they traded for wide receiver Keenan Allen this offseason, pairing him with DJ Moore and now rookie Rome Odunze for one of the league’s best receiver trios.

Allen was brought in to be a weapon for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, but he’s also entering the final year of his current contract where there are two other big names at receiver on the roster.

Back in March, Bears general manager Ryan Poles indicated the goal was to have Allen in Chicago beyond the 2024 season. But the Bears haven’t had contract discussions yet, and it’s likely those won’t come until during the season or even the offseason.

While Allen, 32, faces an uncertain future, he made it clear he wants to play for as long as he can.

“I’m going to let the play speak for itself,” Allen said. “And if they offer me something that I like, we’ll go from there.”

Right now, the receiver market is booming. The Minnesota Vikings signed Justin Jefferson to a four-year deal worth a reported $140 million with $110 million guaranteed. Elsewhere in the division, the Detroit Lions inked Amon-Ra St. Brown to a reported four-year, $120 million deal with $77 million guaranteed.

“The players are going to continue to get better,” Allen said. “They’re younger, bigger, stronger, faster, and they continue to raise the bar, so as long as they’re taking care of their job and vets like me, we just continue to do what we do and take the backseat and get paid as well.”

While some players would prefer not to risk injury playing without a long-term contract in place, Allen said he’s ok with playing out his current one-year deal before the Bears potentially offer to sign him to an extension.

“Yeah, absolutely,” he said. “I mean, that’s the goal right now is to go out and do what I always do and just try to remain who I am. And the market just got reset, so…”

Photos from first day of Chicago Bears 2024 minicamp

The Bears conducted their first minicamp practice on Tuesday. Take a look at the action:

The Chicago Bears kicked off the final phase of their offseason program with mandatory minicamp at Halas Hall.

Chicago conducted their first of three practices on Tuesday, which was open to the media and provided plenty of highlights, including rookie quarterback Caleb Williams connecting with his big three receivers in DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze.

Here’s a look at some photos from Tuesday’s practice:

Bears rookie Caleb Williams already winning over new teammates

A couple of Bears veterans have praised Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams.

Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has wrapped his first organized team activities, where he got to practice with his new veteran teammates.

Williams had his share of ups and downs, as expected with any rookie, but he concluded OTAs with his best outing of the offseason ahead of mandatory minicamp. And he’s already winning over the leaders in the locker room.

“He’s competitive,” said linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. “As a rookie, he’s doing some things that are good to see. That’s the thing that gets me most excited and I think gets our team most excited.”

Running back D’Andre Swift praised Williams’ talent while noting he’s “somebody that’s willing to learn.” But the veteran newcomer also praised Williams’ natural leadership skills.

“You could tell it’s natural to him,” Swift said. “You could tell he’s trying to get comfortable with the offense and everything, commanding the offense. You stand in the huddle with a whole new set of faces, new group of guys, so it takes time for somebody to get comfortable and for that to be repetition-like. He’s doing a great job so far taking it day-by-day. I talked to him about it the other day. He’s doing great so far.”

There are a lot of expectations for Williams heading into his rookie season, especially given the ideal situation he’s landed in with Chicago. He’s got an arsenal of weapons, including DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet and Swift, along with an improved offensive line and a potential top-10 defense.

While Williams will no doubt have his rookie struggles as he acclimates to the pro game, and learns Shane Waldron’s offense, it sounds like he already has the respect of his new teammates.

Former Bears RB Ryan Nall announces retirement

The former Bears preseason legend is hanging up his cleats.

A former Chicago Bears running back is calling it quits when it comes to his football career. On Monday, Ryan Nall announced on social media that he was retiring from the game of football. “You never think it’s time until it is. I’m retiring from the game of football,” he said in a post on X/Twitter. “Thank you all for the love and support over the years.”

Nall had plenty of that support when he was a member of the Bears. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon State in 2018 and quickly became a fan favorite during the preseason. In his rookie year, Nall rushed for 223 yards and one touchdown during the preseason and stuck around on the practice squad for the season.

The 2019 preseason was much of the same for Nall. He totaled 135 rushing yards in four games, including a 70-yard run against the Colts. It was plays like those that endeared him to Bears fans and made coaches keep him around. Those plays eventually paid off for Nall.

From 2019 to 2021, Nall saw action during the regular season, becoming a staple on special teams and as a reserve running back. His best career game came in 2020, when he rushed four times for 35 yards and a touchdown in a 17-24 loss against the Tennessee Titans.

Nall never played another down in the NFL after the 2021 season. He signed with the Cowboys in the 2022 offseason but didn’t make the team. Then, in 2024, he signed with the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League but was released before the season started.

Though he never made much of an impact in the regular season, Nall will go down as one of the more notable preseason standouts the Bears have had over the last 20 years.

Bears rookie Caleb Williams supports DJ Moore at football camp

Bears rookie Caleb Williams is supporting his new teammates both on and off the field, as he was a guest at DJ Moore’s football camp.

The Chicago Bears drafted a good one in Caleb Williams. Not only is a good player, but he’s also a great human being. Williams seems to be very interested in supporting his teammates — both on and off the field.

This past weekend, Williams attended a football camp hosted by wide receiver DJ Moore at Deerfield High School. It is a nice gesture by a new teammate. It also shows that Williams is willing to go out of his way to be a good friend.

While there were plenty of reports that tried to paint Williams in a negative light during the pre-draft process, it hasn’t taken long for those to be proven false as Williams has already been a positive force in Chicago.

The Bears are going to rely on Williams and Moore a lot in the coming years. For most of it, Moore is going to be a high-end receiver available to help Williams and his development. Being friends off the field will certainly make it easier for them to build chemistry on the field.

Character matters in this sport and Williams and Moore seem to have it. For Williams, he’s the quarterback so he’s relied on to lead the franchise in more ways than one. Williams seems to be willing to do that and then some. Going above and beyond seems to be easy for Chicago’s new rookie QB.