Logan Jones' expectations & the long snapper battle: Takeaways from Day 1 of Chicago Bears rookie minicamp
Bears get lots of prime-time love, post-draft power rankings & latest on Vikings GM search | 1st & North
On this episode of "1st & North:" The Bears get the post draft power ranking crown, but could face a brutal schedule next season while Detroit gets set to rebuild their O-Line. The Packers prove Jordan Love is a big draw for coaches, and the Vikings drop to #28 in their pre-season power rankings.
Day one of the rookie minicamp is in the books for the Chicago Bears.
This year's 54-player rookie minicamp roster is made up of:
- Seven drafted players
- Thirteen undrafted free agents
- Twenty-four rookie tryout players
- Five first-year tryout players
- And five veteran tryout players.
The best of the best will get a chance to earn a roster spot in OTAs, which is a chance to earn a spot in training camp.
Here are our takeaways from day one of the Bears’ rookie minicamp.
It’s up to Logan Jones
There were two familiar sights at Halas Hall while watching rookie minicamp practice on Friday.
The first was Devin Hester. The Hall of Fame return man was back on campus Friday and was greeted like a beloved family member.
The second was a jersey sporting No. 54. It wasn’t Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher. It was Bears’ second-round pick Logan Jones. He got Urlacher’s blessing to wear his classic number, which is still a popular jersey choice at Soldier Field on game days.
"To see that number out in practice, it lets everybody think, 'Oh, that was Brian Urlacher's number,'" Jones said. "It's kind of supporting his legacy and letting everybody see the legacy he left."
Thankfully, Jones doesn’t have to live up to Urlacher’s status as one of the best linebackers to ever do it in Chicago.
But, he does have a chance to win the starting center job. He’ll compete with Garrett Bradbury for that role. The Bears have been open about Jones having the same chances as everyone else.
However, the Bears have made it clear that whether Jones earns the job is up to him.
"The ball is in his court as far as I'm concerned," Bears head coach Ben Johnson said. "He understands that just like everyone else, we're looking to create competition and consistency day after day and building trust not only with Caleb and the other quarterbacks, but within that offensive line room and then obviously with the coaching staff. So, it’s just a matter of time to build that trust."
Jones has the time. Right now, it’s about taking in all the information he needs.
Part of playing center is building a rapport with quarterback Caleb Williams. That won’t happen in rookie minicamp. But, Jones is doing his best to soak up what needs to be a productive center in Johnson’s offense.
How well he does this weekend in that regard will indicate if he can earn the chance to challenge Bradbury in OTAs and mandatory minicamp.
The long snapper battle starts now
Scott Daly long snapped for the Bears in the 2024 and 2025 seasons. He stepped in when Patrick Scales went down with an injury in 2024 and was given the Bears’ starting long snapper job in 2025.
In the offseason, the Bears also had Iowa long snapper Luke Elkin compete for that role. Daly won it then.
Daly isn’t on the Bears roster right now, which was the case multiple times last year as the Bears juggled their active roster to fit guys they wanted on there. However, from the sounds of it, Daly might not be the Bears’ long snapper in 2026.
"We feel good about the two guys we have in the building, and it's up to one of them to grab a job that's up for grabs right now," Johnson said. "If we can't get that done the way we need it done, then of course there's other options out there."
The translation there is that Elkin and Georgia undrafted free agent long snapper Beau Gardner will compete for the open long snapper job.
The two rotated turns snapping to undrafted free agent punter Keelan Crimmins during a punt block drill on Friday. Neither made a mistake. There wasn’t a snap that went over the punter’s head or skipped on the turf. But, Elkin was more consistent in getting snaps right into the midsection of the punter where he needed them.
That might be a result of having the experience of being in the Bears’ building last offseason.
The only times long snappers are discussed are on the transaction wires or when they make a mistake. That’s why the Bears are starting this position battle in rookie minicamp. That way, the position battle can be carried into OTAs and mandatory minicamp before coming full circle in training camp.
"There is certainly an element or a phase that you overlook a lot of times," Johnson said. "We need to feel really comfortable about that position, because a mistake on special teams usually wins or loses ball games for you."
What we heard from Ben Johnson as the Chicago Bears opened rookie minicamp
Here’s what he heard from Bears head coach Ben Johnson on the first day of the team’s rookie minicamp.
Play of the day: Scotty Miller
The final rep of the day was a good one for a guy trying to stick in the NFL.
Eight-year NFL veteran, Barrington, Illinois, native and Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Scotty Miller is with the Bears this weekend as a veteran tryout. He helped his chances to stick around on Friday.
The very last play of 7-on-7 drills featured a one-on-one play with Miller and a defensive back. Western Kentucky Rookie tryout quarterback Maverick McIvor gave Miller a deep ball to the right sideline, and Miller tracked the ball down for a low catch.
It was a veteran play. Miller was able to beat the defender while also tracking the deep ball in the air. He finished the play by locating a catch window and dropped low to get the football. It’s a tough play to make.
Johnson noted how he’s got a history with Bears Assistant Head Coach and Wide Receivers Coach Antwaan Randle El, but also noted how "intriguing" Miller is as a tryout player.
"Randle El was with him when he was a young buck there in Tampa, so there is some shared experiences," Johnson said. "Looking forward to seeing him run around and compete a little bit. From afar, I've been able to see the speed, the quickness and that is certainly very intriguing."