LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The Bears ended their last training camp practice Wednesday with some stakes. That’s no shock for a session led by Ben Johnson, where competition is key to, well, everything.
The Bears starters were given a fourth-down scenario, a do-or-die moment with just one victor after the action ceased. There were no excuses, no missteps allowed. Meet the standard or don’t. It’s up to the players on hand.
The offense won this round. Quarterback Caleb Williams avoid a blitz and found receiver DJ Moore for a first-down conversion.
The defense had to do up-downs after giving up the vital play.
Competition and physicality has been infused into everything done over the past six weeks, in an attempt to raise the Bears’ bar for what is acceptable execution. The defense has won many of these scenarios.
Not on this Wednesday, a competitive practice heading into a long weekend and then a true regular-season game week. Things will change when the players return to Halas Hall next week, with a refined game-plan and play selection over the pop quizzes and stress tests that characterized the first preseason under head coach Ben Johnson.
“Yeah, it was great,” left guard Joe Thuney said in a press conference. “A competitive period. Making each other better, offensively and defensively. Great competition back and forth. It went well.”
The same could be said for this Bears training camp, where head coach Ben Johnson pushed his players to the brink on several occasions. He conducted live tackling at several points. He set a physical tone that pervaded throughout camp, without wearing players down.
The Bears were far from perfect, but they’re definitely better following a more old-school camp environment where the Bears were pushed to their limits.
That will benefit the Bears down the road, now that they’ve established their identity as a tough crew.
“We want to be physical,” safety Kevin Byard III said. “We want to practice hard. We want to play hard.”
Injury update
Safety Jaquan Brisker left Wednesday’s practice early and with a Bears athletic trainer midway through the padded session and was taken the significant distance to the Bears locker room on a cart.
Every-down interior linebacker T.J. Edwards left Tuesday’s practice with an injury and was not present on Wednesday. The team did not have an update on his status heading into an extended run of player days off before starting a regular-season week heading into a Monday night clash with the Minnesota Vikings. Defensive end Dominique Robinson also left Tuesday’s practice early and, like Edwards, the team didn’t update his status.
In addition, running backs Roschon Johnson (foot) and Kyle Monangai (undisclosed) remained out into the extended practice break. Cornerbacks Josh Blackwell and Jaylon Johnson – he’s now off the non-football-injury list on the active roster – remained out. Interior linebacker Ruben Hyppolite also sat out the session for an undisclosed reason.
Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and slot cornerback Kyler Gordon were limited somewhat but are clearly on the mend and should be ready for Week 1 if they don’t suffer setbacks.
Practice notes
The Bears conducted their final padded training camp practice on Wednesday, with some spirited move-the-ball sessions and quality work between starting groups. … QB Caleb Williams had another up and down day. He threw an on-time crosser to WR Rome Odunze and connected with DJ Moore twice on big plays, including one instance where he was lined up out of the backfield.
RB D’Andre Swift continues to prove tough in between the tackles, with an ability to bounce outside…RB Brittain Brown was waived on Tuesday and signed to the practice squad on Wednesday, but he continues to show that he has juice within this running game. That was clear on a 6-yard touchdown run, on a counter, with the second unit during team drills. He’s a tough runner and someone who could contribute at some point in the near future.
OL Kiran Amagadjie, a career tackle, worked at guard with the second unit as he continues to expand his skill set working inside and outside and on both sides of the offensive line. …Second-round defensive tackle Shemar Turner’s activity is ramping up after he missed most of camp with an ankle injury. He might not be a major contributor right away but could be a factor down the road.
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