{"id":925824,"date":"2026-06-22T14:36:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T14:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/925824\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T14:36:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T14:36:16","slug":"bears-most-surprising-offseason-player-still-has-major-ben-johnson-hurdle-to-clear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/925824\/","title":{"rendered":"Bears’ Most Surprising Offseason Player Still Has Major Ben Johnson Hurdle to Clear"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the Chicago Bears drafted wide receiver Zavion Thomas<\/a> in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the selection on doubt surprised fans and analysts.<\/p>\n

And that was for a few reasons \u2014 Thomas was viewed as a reach and the Bears had bigger fish to fry at positions like edge rusher and interior defensive line in that spot.<\/p>\n

While it remains to be seen how right or wrong the Bears were, the early returns on Thomas have been positive<\/a>, with the LSU product having stood out at every open practice of OTAs and minicamp.<\/p>\n

As a result, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin labeled Thomas the Bears’ biggest surprise player<\/a> from the offseason.<\/p>\n

“The lightning-fast receiver who ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine got ample reps as a punt returner this spring and showed that he can be more than a special teams star with his skill set on offense,” Cronin wrote.<\/p>\n

While this is great news, Thomas is still far from guaranteed to have a big role in his first season. In order to grab that, he must clear one major hurdle with head coach Ben Johnson.<\/p>\n

The Ben Johnson hurdle\"Chicago<\/p>\n

Chicago Bears wide receiver Zavion Thomas. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Johnson has heaped praise on Thomas for his electric showing in his first offseason, but in order for the rookie to see the biggest role possible, the coaching staff must trust him.<\/p>\n

How do we know that? Well, Johnson said so himself.<\/p>\n

“He tends to make a play almost every single day right now that says, OK, if we can harness all of this energy and make sure that we can trust him and he’s going to align where he needs to and run the route the way we need him to, that we really could use him and he could be a big weapon for us this year,” Johnson said.<\/p>\n

This is not any kind of revelation, as general manager Ryan Poles said the same thing right after Thomas was drafted by Chicago. <\/p>\n

Poles pointed to Thomas’ ability to pick up the playbook quickly<\/a> as a potential hurdle to his seeing the field early in his career.<\/p>\n

“So this is a tough system. It\u2019s going to be a challenge for him to break through quickly (on offense),” he said. “So, maybe that role starts small and grows over time. But I don\u2019t want to put a cap on that. If he comes in and downloads fast and he\u2019s up and running, we\u2019ll see what happens.”<\/p>\n

The Bears have done a good job tempering expectations for the rookie, as there have been no promises made when it comes to Thomas’ role in Chicago in Year 1. <\/p>\n

However, there are currently two very clear paths for Thomas to get touches, even if he doesn’t have the full trust of the coaching staff. One of those is the return game, and the other is Johnson scheming up touches for Thomas with jet sweeps and whatnot.<\/p>\n

But if Thomas wants to get as many opportunities as possible in the Bears’ offense in his first season in the NFL, he’s got to show he has a fantastic grasp on the playbook. <\/p>\n

He’ll get his final offseason opportunity to do that starting in late July, when training camp begins.<\/p>\n

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