Chicago Bears training camp report for Aug. 10: Defensive line shines: Chicago
The Bears' defensive line turned some heads during practice Thursday at training camp at Halas Hall.
As the offense continues to work out the kinks ahead of Saturday's preseason opener, it was the big fellas in the trenches who made life tough on Justin Fields and the quarterbacks. Here's the latest from camp.
Defensive line shines:
Following a long and physical practice on Wednesday, the Bears went a little bit shorter Thursday. They will have an off day Friday ahead of Saturday's preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field.
The defensive line shined on Thursday, making plays against both the first- and second-team offenses. At various times, defensive lineman Andrew Brown, Dominique Robinson, Rasheem Green, Justin Jones and Gervon Dexter made disruptive plays in the middle. New defensive end Yannick Ngakoue continues to ramp up his participation. He was involved in team drills Thursday, but did not have a heavy rep count.
With starting right guard Nate Davis and his backup Lucas Patrick still sidelined by undisclosed injuries, second-year pro Ja'Tyre Carter was playing right guard with the first-team offense. Carter struggled on a couple of plays, particularly in pass protection.
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said he did not think Thursday was a rough day for the offense.
"Slow start for sure," Getsy said. "Guys were a little bit slow to get going. That was definitely evident. We tried to do a little bit more on the ball stuff, too. Instead of huddling, we were on the ball a lot more today. So that part of it was a little bit more challenging."
Running back D'Onta Foreman had a couple of nice runs for the first-team offense. The passing attack continues to be a work in progress. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson nearly intercepted Fields in the end zone during a red zone period. Fields threw an ill-advised pass into heavy traffic that went right through Johnson's hands.
Third-string QB Nathan Peterman did not practice, giving fourth-stringer Tyson Bagent a few more opportunities. Bagent faced a lot of pressure from the defensive line. At one point, he threw an interception to linebacker Barrington Wade.
Injury update:
The Bears continue to be cautious with injured players. In addition to Peterman, Davis, and Patrick, the following players sat out practice Thursday: safety Jaquan Brisker, receiver Chase Claypool, quarterback Nathan Peterman, running back Travis Homer, cornerback Terell Smith, cornerback Josh Blackwell, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, linebacker Dylan Cole and defensive end DeMarcus Walker.
The Bears will not comment on an injury unless it is expected to be long-term.
It seems likely that most of the aforementioned players will not participate in Saturday's preseason game. Fields is expected to play, but it's unclear how many snaps he will play.