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The Bears and Darnell Wright make NFL History, plus Jahmyr Gibbs demands Bijan Robinson cash
The Bears lose Coby Bryant for eight to ten weeks but lock up Darnell Wright with a record extension, while the Lions watch Jahmyr Gibbs wait for a new deal. The Packers welcome back tight end Tucker Kraft as Zach Tom changes his last name. The Vikings deal with two QB's riding the struggle bus early in practice.
The Chicago Bears ended their second week of training camp practices on Thursday, and their first exhibition game is drawing closer.
Here are five extra things we learned Thursday at Halas Hall from this week.
Kyler Gordon remains TBD
Johnson said on Thursday there was no update on injured defensive back Kyler Gordon.
He very bluntly said he was continuing to rehab, and moved on from the question. It doesn't seem like Gordon is close to returning to the field.
This is in contrast with when he was asked about Coby Bryant's potential eight-to-10 week timeline. Johnson said the team is still evaluating how long Bryant will be out. That's not the case for Gordon.
Gordon is present at Halas Hall. He was signing autographs for fans on Thursday. The Bears want to see him progress in his rehab. Perhaps soon we'll hear when the Bears might expect him to return.
Perhaps Week 3 comes with more insight. For now, Gordon remains focused on rehabbing.
The LT battle keeps rolling
The Bears are hoping the left tackle competition becomes a little more clear next week. Johnson reiterated Braxton Jones, Theo Benedet, Kiran Amegadije and Jedrick Wills Jr. are still in the mix.
This means no one has really risen to the top of the competition. Johnson said he hopes to see clarity at the left tackle job by next week.
"We're going to continue to roll guys through," Johnson said. "We'll go as long as we need it."
The latter might come to light soon, because of how Jones left Thursday's practice with the Bears' athletic trainers. If Jones is out for an extended period of time, that hurts the Bears drastically.
Jones has been the best candidate to take the left tackle job through about two weeks of practices. He's far from perfect, but his lapses don't set the Bears' offense back.
Amegadije doesn't look close to being a player that could take over the left tackle position. Wills is in the same category as Amegadije. At this point, it feels like those two could potentially be fighting for a roster spot in a couple of weeks.
It doesn't sound like Jones' injury could be serious – the Chicago Tribune was reporting the initial thoughts were it wouldn't be a long-term issue – which is a boon for the player that's most likely going to be their starting left tackle.
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When in doubt, find Loveland and/or Burden
There's a common theme in Bears' practices.
The offense itself will go as far as the receivers will take them, namely the grouping of Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland and Kalif Raymond.
The theme here is when the Bears need to have it, they have gone to two players consistently: Burden and Loveland.
Quarterback Caleb Williams has capped off two separate two-minute drills so far through two weeks of camp practices by finding both Loveland and Burden to score in separate two-minute drills.
Williams capped an inconsistent day on Thursday with his best showing of the week, going 6 for 6 and leading the offense into the end zone on a 65-yard drive.
Burden has been the subject of praise from the Bears all camp long. His trust in the Bears' offense is only growing.
"His play style's contagious," Bears running back D'Andre Swift said. "He always knows where the camera's at, too."
Why Zavion Thomas will see early action
The Bears allegedly over-drafted when they selected wide receiver Zavion Thomas in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Bears, obviously, don't agree with that assessment.
Thomas fills the need for a special teams ace. He also has been a big-play savant for the Bears at times in training camp, turning short throws into massive gains.
Earning the Bears' trust early on isn't easy. Thomas has done it by showing the Bears how disciplined he is.
"It's a vet-type mindset to be disciplined and do something like that," Bears wide receiver Kalif Raymond said. "When he showed me that video, I was just happy to know that that's who he is."
That approach is why Thomas will see some early action for the Bears beyond his skills as a special teams ace.
LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS - JUNE 3: Zavion Thomas #81 of the Chicago Bears warms up during a Chicago Bears OTA Offseason Workout at Halas Hall on June 3, 2026 in Lake Forest, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
Ben Johnson's high expectation for his offense
Johnson is a bright offensive mind. That's his bread and butter. It's his thing.
That's why it's imperative the Bears hold his offense in high regard. Specifically, this rings true for the offense itself.
When the offense sputters, Johnson sees it as the entire unit holding everything back.
"That's where these padded practices are so valuable," he said Thursday. "That's why I get upset when the offense is sabotaging practice a little bit. Our defensive players need these reps as much as anything else."
That's why Johnson has the Bears as a potential contender in Year 2.