🐻 The312Report’s Ultimate Bears Training Camp Guide: Everything I’m Watching As Camp Begins

Ladies and gentlemen…

Football is back.

Well…unofficially officially back.

Tomorrow, rookies and quarterbacks report to Halas Hall, officially kicking off the start of Chicago Bears Training Camp. All other veterans are set to report on Tuesday. That means the endless what if’s are ALMOST all behind us. Free agency is in the rearview mirror. OTA overreactions can finally be put to bed. It’s time to roll the footballs out and see who’s really got that dawg in him.

Coming off an 11-win season and an NFC North Championship in 2025, the Bears enter Year 2 under Ben Johnson with something they haven’t had in quite some time…

Expectations.

Last season was about proving the Bears belonged.

This season is about proving 2025 wasn’t a fluke.

Standing in their way? The NFL’s toughest schedule, a pair of new starting safeties, a new center, a new WR1 (we just don’t know who yet) and 31 other teams that would love nothing more than knocking Chicago off the mountain.

So before everybody starts declaring Super Bowl or screaming the season is over after the first interception of camp…

Here’s everything I’ll be watching over the next few weeks.

🐻 The Biggest Storyline

What does Caleb Williams look like in Year 2 under Ben Johnson?

From Caleb’s rookie season to his first year under Ben Johnson, the difference was night and day.

Behind a revamped offensive line and, dare I say it…a competent offensive mind…No. 18 watched his sacks plummet from a league-leading 68 in 2024 to just 24 in 2025. That’s all the proof I needed that the foundation has finally been built.

Now comes the fun part.

The rest of the football world—minus Packers fans, of course—is expecting Caleb to enter the MVP conversation this season. So am I.

Can he become the first quarterback in franchise history to throw for 4,000 yards?

Personally…

I think he’s gonna blow right past that number.

But that’s just me.

The road starts tomorrow.

⚔️ Position Battles

Center

I don’t know about y’all…

I’m still a little pissed about Drew Dalman.

Bro came in, anchored what became one of the best offensive lines we’ve seen in Chicago in years…then woke up one morning and said, “Yeah, I’m good.”

Appreciate you…I guess.

Ryan Poles didn’t waste any time, though. He traded for veteran Garrett Bradbury before selecting Iowa standout Logan Jones in the second round.

And unlike that third tight end…

This draft pick made perfect sense.

Jones won the Rimington Trophy as college football’s best center while allowing just ONE sack over his final two seasons at Iowa.

We know he’s the future.

The only question is…

Does the future begin this summer?

Defensive End

If you’ve spent more than five minutes on Bears Twitter this offseason, you’ve probably seen somebody begging Ryan Poles to add another pass rusher.

And whoever said it…

They’re not wrong.

Chicago’s defensive line simply didn’t produce enough last season, yet Poles has remained surprisingly patient while fans dream about names like Jadeveon Clowney, Leonard Floyd, Joey Bosa, Maxx Crosby and Alex Highsmith.

Could a move still happen?

Absolutely.

But if it doesn’t, the answer is already in the building.

Can Dayo Odeyingbo return healthy?

Can Austin Booker finally take that Year 3 leap?

Can Shemar Turner become the disruptive force the Bears envisioned when they drafted him?

One of those three has to emerge to help Montez. I personally think Austin Booker will win the job as he has shown flashes of brilliance, he just can’t stay healthy.

👀 Player I’m Watching Closely

Rome Odunze

Simply put…

Rome has something to prove.

Entering Year 3, the former Top-10 pick should be ascending into Chicago’s unquestioned No. 1 receiver.

Instead…

Luther Burden is breathing down his neck.

And if Burden passes him?

Boy…

Let’s just say Rome better not let that happen.

This might quietly be the biggest training camp of his young career.

📈 My Breakout Player

Everybody and their mama is picking Luther Burden or Colston Loveland.

Too easy.

Give me Kyle Monangai.

And if I’m D’Andre Swift…

I’m checking over my shoulder every single practice.

Monangai runs angry.

He finishes runs.

His contact balance is ridiculous.

He’s the type of back defenders hate tackling in the fourth quarter because he somehow turns two-yard gains into seven-yard problems.

The only thing standing between him and legitimate RB1 conversations is proving he can consistently contribute in the passing game.

If Swift misses a couple practices and Kyle has put in some jugs machine work in the off-season…

#4 might have a problem.

😬 Players Under The Most Pressure

I’m gonna leave Rome alone for a minute and head over to the secondary.

Tyrique Stevenson.

We all know what happened in Week 5 of 2024.

No need to beat a dead horse.

Before that moment, Bears fans believed they had one of the NFL’s best young cornerback duos alongside Jaylon Johnson.

Since then…

Man…

It just hasn’t looked the same.

Now Chicago adds talented rookie Malik Muhammad while Terrell Smith returns healthy.

That’s gonna make things real uncomfortable.

Tyrique doesn’t have to worry about making the roster…

But he absolutely has to worry about finding himself watching a lot more snaps than playing them.

And while we’re talking defensive backs…

Kyler Gordon.

Love the player.

Love the toughness.

Love everything he brings when he’s on the field.

Now…

Can somebody please keep him ON the field?

🎯 Five Bold Camp Predictions

1. Jedrick Wills wins the starting left tackle job.

Sorry Kiran. Sorry Braxton. Sorry Theo.

I think Wills ends up protecting Caleb’s blind side.

2. Rookie Zavion Thomas becomes one of camp’s biggest stars.

Ben Johnson is gonna have some fun with this kid.

3. The Bears make a blockbuster trade for Jalen Carter.

Yeah…

I said it.

Before Eagles fans fire up the mentions, hear me out.

Carter is exactly the kind of player I’d be calling about if I were Ryan Poles.

He’s only 24 years old, already playing at an All-Pro level, still on his rookie contract with a fifth-year option available, and he’s the rare defensive tackle capable of wrecking an offense from the inside without needing extra blitzers.

Now imagine pairing that with Montez Sweat.

Suddenly you’ve got a defensive line offenses have to game-plan around every single week.

But here’s what really sells me…

Unlike previous coaching staffs, I genuinely believe Ben Johnson and Dennis Allen have built the kind of culture that could keep Carter focused and thriving.

Talent has never been his issue.

Consistency has.

This coaching staff has already shown it can demand accountability while earning the respect of its players.

If there’s an organization that can unlock the best version of Jalen Carter for the next decade…

I think it’s Chicago.

Will it happen?

Probably not.

Would I make the call anyway?

Without hesitation.

4. Austin Booker wins the starting job opposite Montez Sweat.

Year 3 (healthy) leap incoming.

Book it. (See what I did there)

5. The Bears defense surprises everybody.

While everybody is drooling over Ben Johnson’s offense…

I think Dennis Allen’s defense quietly becomes the story of camp.

🚑 Injuries I’ll Be Monitoring

Outside of the obvious…

Kyler Gordon.

Every single practice.

Also…

How explosive do Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner look after missing significant time this offseason?

Because if those two are healthy…

Everything changes.

🧠 What Ben Johnson Needs To Prove

This one isn’t really about football.

It’s about staying hungry.

Matt Nagy looked like the Football God’s gift to Chicago in 2018.

We all know how that movie ended.

Ben Johnson won over this locker room with toughness, creativity, accountability and one of the brightest offensive minds in football.

Now comes the hard part.

Can he do it again?

Can he evolve?

Can he keep a hungry football team hungry?

Great coaches don’t catch lightning in a bottle once.

They build storms.

⭐ Caleb Williams’ Year Two Checklist

Honestly…

I don’t care if Caleb completes 67% or 71% of his passes.

I don’t.

I care about the little things.

Take the easy completion.

Move the chains.

Live to fight another down.

Don’t force the home run when the defense is begging you to.

Now…

If he wants to sprinkle in a few 60-yard moon balls that make Bears fans lose their minds…

I’m not exactly gonna complain.

🍿 Final Thoughts

One last thing before Bears Twitter collectively loses its mind…

Somebody’s gonna throw an interception.

Somebody’s gonna make a ridiculous one-handed catch.

Some undrafted rookie is gonna look like the second coming of Devin Hester.

And somebody’s favorite sleeper is probably getting cut before Labor Day.

That’s football.

Training camp isn’t about winning practices.

It’s about building a football team that’s ready to win games in September, October, November and hopefully deep into January.

Last year, the Bears announced themselves.

This year…

They’ve got a chance to prove they belong among the NFL’s elite.

And I don’t know about y’all…

But I can’t wait to see how this story unfolds.

Now…

LET’S PLAY SOME DAMN FOOTBALL!

—

By Chicago. For Chicago.

- Jamor Pearson | The312Report