Bears training camp report: Leadership, injuries take spotlight on Tuesday

The Chicago Bears are trying to figure out a few position battles before the NFL season begins on Sept. 13.

Injuries have been standing in their way before, and since the start of camp.

That was no different on Tuesday, as multiple players left with injuries. But, the team's leaders stepped in to ensure practice ran according to their standards.

Here's what we saw from the Bears' training camp practice on Tuesday.

More injuries:

The Bears have put up with injuries so far all camp long. There have been smaller dings, like Kyle Monangai being listed as week-to-week, and tough losses, like Coby Bryant's knee surgery that will sideline him for a while.

Tuesday added a few more questions to the pile.

All-Pro right tackle Darnell Wright left practice after the red zone period. He was getting his arm and elbow looked at by the trainers before he went back into the facilities. Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr., tight end Hayden Large and cornerback Malik Muhammad also left practice early.

Defensive end Austin Booker wasn't present at practice, either.

On the other side of it all, quarterback Tyson Bagent, offensive lineman Luke Newman, defensive back Jaylon Jones and cornerback Terell Smith were all back at practice after missing time with injuries.

With Dexter out of practice, it meant more first-team reps for Jordan van den Berg. The rookie sixth-round pick was a player coach Ben Johnson described as "a beast" on Tuesday morning.

On the offensive line, Theo Benedet was with the first-team offense at right tackle with Wright out. Kiran Amegadjie was with the second-team offense at right tackle, while Jedrick Wills Jr. was the second-team offense's left tackle. 

Braxton Jones took every first-team rep at left tackle.

Bears leadership:

Before the Bears had a team period where they practiced a team period that focused on their red zone offense and defense, the entire team gathered together.

Coach Ben Johnson usually does this after practice, but this time it was a player who rallied the Bears.

Safety Cam Lewis said cornerback Jaylon Johnson brought the entire team together at that moment to tell the entire team the practice was not abiding by the standards the coaches set.

 "It's not good enough," Lewis said Johnson told the team.

Johnson also helped defensive end Montez Sweat off the offensive player's sideline after a long-drive drill where the coaches were calling plays without a script and were pushing the players to the point of exhaustion.

The long-drive drill was grueling and demanded stamina from the players. The first-team offense had a 13-play drill where half of the plays were handoffs to D'Andre Swift. The other half of the plays were passing calls. 

Veteran players, like Johnson and Grady Jarrett, were getting players on a knee during the drill back into the game. The players on the sidelines followed suit with encouragements.

Sweat went down on one knee after the first-team defense ended their long-drive drill. Johnson helped him rally and jogged with him to the defensive player's sideline.

It's an example of the player Johnson is off the field, which is a player the Bears need in moments like that. Bears tight end Cole Kmet said Tuesday was one of the team's best practices of training camp so far.

A big reason was how the veterans rallied the team in the moments where it was most difficult. The injuries are concerning, but the veteran leadership is where it needs to be.

Dig deeper:

The team has activated rookie linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and veteran defensive back Elijah Hicks. Those were beginning their ramp-ups before joining their team periods. The Bears signed linebacker Antonio Grier and placed linebacker Nephi Sewell on injured reserve.

Johnson said Hicks and Elliott were close to returning. He also said defensive lineman Shemar Turner and linebacker Noah Sewell are a bit further behind Hicks and Elliott, and aren't that close to returning to play yet.

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