Bears training camp: 1 thing we've learned about each of the Bears' rookies

Congrats, rookies. You've all made it through two weeks of Chicago Bears training camp.

So far, so good.

Here's one thing we've learned about each of the rookies in the 2026 Bears Draft Class after two weeks of training camp practices.

Dillon Thieneman

What we learned: He’s got to learn quickly now

There was an easy run way for the Bears’ first-round pick out of Oregon. He had a chance to sit back and learn alongside veteran safety Coby Bryant, who was taking strides as a leader on the defense in the first week of camp.

That changes now that Bryant is out for two months.

Following Bryant’s injury, Thieneman needs to fit into the Bears’ defense quickly. He’s already getting a baptism by fire.

In 1-on-1 drills on Thursday, Thieneman was matched up against Colston Loveland and it wasn’t much of a contest. Loveland was bigger and faster, but no one should judge Thieneman based off one drill.

He displayed rangy safety skills in situational drills, intercepting Caleb Williams on Saturday in an end-of-game situation. 

There have been ups and downs for the rookie so far, but the pressure is on to find consistency in his game with a secondary that can’t afford to lose any other players.

Logan Jones

What we learned: He can take his time

Jones has not taken a snap with the first-team offense. That might change if Garrett Bradbury takes a veteran day off, but even if Jones sticks with the second-team offensive line that’s not a bad thing.

Bradbury has been a seamless fit into the Bears’ offense as the team traded for him once Drew Dalman retired. He’s been communicating well, and that’s evident in the lack of procedural flags so far in camp.

If Jones doesn’t play much this year for the Bears, that’s not a bad development. Sitting for an entire year behind Bradbury in coach Ben Johnson’s offense will have him ready for when it’s time to take over.

Sam Roush

What we learned: He fits like a glove

Roush was a draft pick that had Johnson’s fingerprints all over him. It’s clear as day how important tight ends are in his system, and that set clear expectations for Roush from the start of camp.

The Bears want to have as many options offensively as possible. That means Roush and the rest of the tight ends need to be ready, so the Bears can play 11-, 12- and 13-personnel.

"Some weeks we can go exclusive 11-personnel, which is all three of our wideouts out there," Johnson said. "Other weeks we might lean into a heavier package. But we want to be able to weave through whichever way we want to go each week." 

Roush has fit like a glove, so far.

He’s absorbing knowledge and he’s running with the second-team offense so far, which is a good development. He was active in the Bears’ 7-on-7 drills late last week, and looked good in the red zone drills. He caught a touchdown on a tip drill on a pass from Tyson Bagent, too.

Roush is doing what the Bears are asking of him, and he's fitting into the room seamlessly.

Zavion Thomas: 

What we learned: We’ll see him on Sundays, somehow

Thomas can’t be denied in camp, and it’s for two reasons.

The first and foremost reason is because Thomas is making plays in camp. He’s taken short throws and turned them into big games on screen plays and has made catches on different routes.

The second reason is because he’s impressed the staff with how he prepares every day.

"I think that Zavion is a little bit more mature than most rookies that I've dealt with in the returner position," Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said.

Thomas is impressing the coaches and veterans in how he prepares his body, namely the small stabilizing exercises.

That’s carried over into practices and camp. The coaches are taking notice, it’s why Thomas, in some way, shape and form, will have a chance to play on Sundays this fall. At first, it’ll most likely be in the return game but it could evolve into the Bears’ offensive game plan.

"When you talk about maturity, you talk about how a guy studies, what type of routines he has on and off the field, what type of questions he asks in the meeting room," Hightower said. "

Malik Muhammad

What we learned: The Bears are giving him runways to play

The Bears’ secondary is dangerously thin now with Bryant and Kyler Gordon both out and two depth players having suffered season-ending injuries, but this is a boon for the Bears’ fourth-round pick.

Muhammad worked with the first-team defense at both nickel cornerback and outside cornerback as injuries have struck the Bears’ secondary. The rookie from Texas will have multiple run ways to get some early playing time.

He looked good in pass protection, too. On Saturday, Muhammad had a pass break up in the 11-on-11 team period filling in on the first team.

As Muhammad got more first-team reps this week, and with Terell Smith and Jaylon Jones missing time it just means more chances for Muhammad to earn trust with the coaching staff.

"I’ve seen him playing with some confidence," Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said.

Keyshaun Elliott

What we learned: Wait and see for him

Elliott has been on the physically unable to perform list since training camp began in late July.

We haven’t seen him yet in training camp, and he’ll need a significant ramp up period before he starts showing the reasons why the Bears took him in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

We’ll have to wait and see.

Jordan van den Berg

What we learned: He’s taking advantage of every opportunity

Of all the Bears’ rookies, van den Berg has been the one who has made the most noise so far in training camp.

He popped on the radar when he got into a scuffle with offensive lineman Caden Barnett. Van den Berg slammed Barnett to the ground during a drill, and while Barnett took exception to that, the defense loved it.

It wasn’t a one-off situation, though, as van den Berg came on in the latter half of the week with his camp performances. He shined in a 9-on-7 drill where he was consistently getting penetration. 

"I think we all see it on the field that he's a really good player," Bears defensive end Austin Booker said.