Where Dillon Thieneman impresses the most: 3 things we learned from Chicago Bears assistant coaches
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The Chicago Bears have gone through three weeks of training camp, and the coaches have learned plenty about their team.
The assistant coaches talked about plenty of lessons they've learned this week.
Here are three things we learned chatting with Bears assistant coaches on Thursday.
How Dillon Thieneman has impressed Bears coaches
So far, Bears rookie we’ve seen shine in training camp are wide receiver Zavion Thomas, defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg and cornerback Malik Muhammad.
First-round pick Dillon Thieneman hasn’t had the same type of fanfare, but that’s not entirely concerning. The Bears have given Thieneman a baptism by fire, guarding players like Colston Loveland in one-on-one drills while he also gets acclimated to the speed of the NFL.
Bears safeties coach Matt Giordano lauded how Thieneman faces any challenges, be it on the field or from the coaches, head on.
"What's great about Dillon, he wants the truth," Giordano said. "He doesn't want to sugarcoat it, so it's like, ‘Hey, I should’ve done this.’ Yeah, he should've. And he's like, ‘Okay, like, I'll do it right next time.’ And sure enough, he does it right the next time."
Thieneman was going to play next to free agent signee Coby Bryant. The Bears announced Bryant would miss four to six months while recovering from knee surgery.
A lot is then put on Thieneman’s shoulders to get used to the NFL sooner rather than later.
From what the coaches see, the rookie from Oregon is taking in every lesson.
"He can take the coaching," Giordano said. "And what's great about Dillon, he's his toughest critic. He knows when he did something right or did something to the expectation of us or of himself. So, he's a joy to coach."
LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS - JUNE 3: Dillon Thieneman #31 of the Chicago Bears looks on during a Chicago Bears OTA Offseason Workout at Halas Hall on June 3, 2026 in Lake Forest, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
Taking the pass rush back to ‘zero’
Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. mentioned this past week the pass rush has undergone a complete reset.
"We started all the way from zero," Dexter said. "I think that's where I’ve seen the most improvement."
Going back to zero takes Dexter and the rest of the Bears’ defensive line to the basics. That’s what defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett wanted.
"Ground zero" for the Bears’ defensive line starts with the technical side of pass rushes, which starts with getting in a consistent stance.
A bad start means a bad finish.
"The most important thing is how I start the down," Garrett said. "If you start the down and you're not in a good stance where you can attack the line of scrimmage, then you're already behind. It's really been, hey, start with the basic fundamentals."
Beyond that, Garrett wants the Bears to just play and not think.
"Clear your mind. Stop the what-ifs and go attack," Garrett said. "I think we've tried to unclog their mind, start back and get these guys playing more free, but within the scheme."
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How the Bears’ quarterbacks lead
This offense is Caleb Williams’ offense. Tyson Bagent has the important role as Williams’ backup.
However, both Bears’ quarterbacks have their own specific way of operating their own business. Bears quarterbacks coach JT Barrett noted how different Williams and Bagent are in leadership terms.
"They have their own way of going about it," Barrett said. "Especially, because I think a lot of times, it goes into your relationship you have with the guys."
Bagent found himself in the middle of rumors this offseason when Bears general manager Ryan Poles said at the NFL Combine he had gotten trade calls surrounding Bagent.
Bagent has started games in the NFL in 2023 before. Earlier in camp, tight end Cole Kmet has been adamant Bagent is one of the best 32 quarterbacks in the league, which was a vouch for Bagent to eventually have a starting job one day. In order to do that, Bagent has prepared like he’s the starter.
Even though this is Williams’ offense, he and Bagent have their own specific connections with the players on the team. That goes a long way in setting Bagent up for success if were ever needed to start.
"They all have their own different relationships that they have, and so they have a way that they want to lead and how they do that," Barrett said. "Seeing them, like I said, have ownership and then be able to inspire and motivate their guys, I think that's been something that's been really cool."