Despite defensive concerns, Bears in a great spot to open camp
Listen up, fantasy drafters — Bears general manager Ryan Poles is very bullish on Luther Burden.
“You can feel the fire inside of him,” Poles said of the second-year receiver. “I'm excited to see that show up.”
OK, nice to know. But there's already strong confidence in coach Ben Johnson's offense. Besides left tackle, there are virtually no concerns about that side of the ball.
Defense is the overwhelming issue heading into Wednesday's first practice of training camp. Nothing was done in the offseason to stimulate a lackluster pass rush. Nickel back Kyler Gordon, one of the team's most important players, can't stay healthy. Stopping the run might still be a problem. They'll likely be counting on first-round pick Dillon Thieneman to fill a starting role in Week 1.
So let's call this an optimistic beginning, with plenty of question marks to keep the Bears focused.
The outlook actually got worse on Tuesday, because the Bears added Montez Sweat and Elijah Hicks to the various injured lists, joining Gordon, T.J. Edwards, Shemar Turner, Noah Sewell and rookie Keyshaun Elliott on the defensive side.
Usually, it's great defenses that win Super Bowls. Sometimes, a middling defense gets it done, but that tends to happen when a team is especially good at sacks or turnovers. Sacks are a big ask for the 2026 Bears, but they were very good at forcing turnovers last season, so there is some hope.
Bears fans should be very thankful for this moment in time, because the sky really is the limit. Until proven otherwise, Johnson and Caleb Williams fit the criteria of the NFL's next great head coach-quarterback combo. No guarantee it pans out as planned, but if it does, we could expect roughly three Super Bowl titles, based on league history.
Johnson did his part at Tuesday's news conference to keep spirits high. In his eyes, training camp is a chance for the players to bond. He mentioned the joys of going on the road for joint practices against preseason opponents, which the Bears plan to do. Maybe that's the best way for an NFL team to replicate a long road trip, where players are forced to hang out with each other.
“We've got a high level of talent on this roster,” Johnson said. “I'm not concerned with that at all, I'm concerned with how we come together as a group right now.”
Johnson seemed to recognize how the Bears' offensive style of three incomplete passes, followed by a fourth-down miracle from Williams might be unsustainable.
There might be more of a West Coast look to the offense, short passes to fast receivers like Burden, Kalif Raymond and rookie Zavion Thomas. Tight ends Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet are essentially the possession receivers, which can make Williams' job easier.
Johnson talked about how in Year 2 on the job, being a head coach still feels like drinking from a fire hose. But he also comes across as someone who knows exactly what he's doing, whether it's designing plays or motivating the masses.
“This is where it gets fun,” he said. “There's a lot of getting to know each other. That was our secret sauce (in 2025), guys playing for each other.”
On Day 1 of training camp 2026, the Bears are in a great spot. Where it goes from here might depend on some of those defensive questions getting answered.