Chicago Bears 2026 training camp preview: Special teams

Name: "Expect A Much Different Offense!" CHGO's Greg Braggs Previews Bears Camp
Uploaded: 2026-07-24T17:01:00-05:00
Description: CHGO’s Greg Braggs joins Fox Chicago's Devan Kaney on Chicago Sports Tonight to preview Bears Training Camp! Greg breaks down Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson’s Year 2 offense, the underrated position battle at center, and whether the Bears have enough pass-rush depth at edge

"Expect A Much Different Offense!" CHGO's Greg Braggs Previews Bears Camp

CHGO’s Greg Braggs joins Fox Chicago's Devan Kaney on Chicago Sports Tonight to preview Bears Training Camp! Greg breaks down Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson’s Year 2 offense, the underrated position battle at center, and whether the Bears have enough pass-rush depth at edge

Chicago Bears training camp officially opens at the end of July, with rookies reporting first and veterans reporting soon after.

FOX Chicago takes a look at the Bears’ special teams depth chart, which will feature a new look in the return game and at the long snapper position.

Here’s a look at the Bears’ special teams unit ahead of training camp.

Bears Special Teams Depth Chart

K - Cairo Santos

P - Tory Taylor

KR - Kalif Raymond OR Zavion Thomas

PR - Zavion Thomas OR Kalif Raymond

LS - 1. Beau Gardner, 2. Luke Elkin

Special Teams Aces - Josh Blackwell, Daniel Hardy, Keyshaun Elliott

What we know:

The major changes to the special teams unit this offseason were at long snapper and in the return game.

Devin Duvernay helped set up a game-winning field goal to beat the Vikings and was a solid return man all season long on punt and kick returns. Kalif Raymond was signed as a replacement there.

The Bears also drafted LSU wide receiver Zavion Thomas with the idea he'd factor into the return game.

The Bears let Scott Daly walk in free agency, which was a moderate surprise. He hadn't made a critical mistake in the two years he long snapped for the Bears.

Now, the Bears will turn to Beau Gardner, a rookie out of Georgia, and Luke Elkin, a second-year snapper out of Iowa, to fill that role.

Gardner played six college seasons between UCLA and Georgia, and won the Patrick Mannelly Award last year as the best long snapper in college football. Elkin has familiarity with Taylor from their days at Iowa.

Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said he wants his long snappers to excel in the kick snapping, punt snapping and blocking games.

Cairo Santos, who missed two games last season, and Tory Taylor are back to handle kicking and punting duties, respectively.

What we don't know:

It's still unclear who will handle punt return duties, and if the Bears will go with the duo of Raymond and Thomas on kickoff returns.

The Bears had Duvernay and Josh Blackwell return kickoffs in 2025. Luther Burden III also go in on kick returns, but that most likely won't happen in 2026.

The Bears have to figure out who they want returning kickoffs and punts. Kickoffs might be a combination of Raymond and Thomas, especially when Hightower spoke highly of Thomas.

"I like his natural instincts. I like his ability to catch the ball in traffic and his fearlessness," Hightower said on May 21 of Zavion Thomas. "He's still young, it's still early. I mean, we'll see. But you've got a dynamic player that we like on special teams and we like on offense."

Big picture view:

The Bears will have a few options to consider on kick return, and it's fair to assume it won't be as dynamic as what Duvernay brought to the table last season.

Duvernay looked like the All-Pro returner he became in Baltimore at key moments. The Bears are hoping for something similar with Raymond, but could unlock something similar in Thomas.

The long snapper battle is one that caught early attention in minicamp and OTAs, however, based on conversations across the offseason Gardner is entering training camp with a leg up in the competition to win the job.

The Bears will also look for some rookies to create some opportunities on special teams. Rookie linebacker Keyshaun Elliott, who raved about how he loves playing on special teams, fits that billing.