4 things we learned as Chicago Bears reported to camp, including Jaylon Johnson out for ‘a few weeks'

Chicago Tribune

3 days ago

The Chicago Bears are back at Halas Hall.
Veteran players reported for training camp Tuesday in Lake Forest, and general manager Ryan Poles, coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams met with the media. The team will hold its first practice Wednesday morning.
Here are four things we learned.
The Bears placed Johnson on the non-football injury list over the weekend, and Poles said Tuesday the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback will be out for a few weeks because of a leg injury.
The NFI list is for players who suffer injuries away from team facilities. Poles said Johnson injured his leg while training on his own. He declined to elaborate on the injury.
'It is going to take a few weeks before he can come back,' Poles said. 'We've got a lot of faith that he's going to put in the time to rehab and be his full self when he comes back. I'm sure we'll have updates as we go through training camp, but it's going to take a little bit of time. But (we're) not overly concerned about (it) long term.'
Still, the Bears will be without their top coverage cornerback for a while. With the Sept. 8 season opener against the Minnesota Vikings looming just seven weeks from now, 'a few weeks' is not insignificant.
Photos: Chicago Bears report to training campWithout Johnson, the spotlight in practice will turn toward cornerbacks Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith.
In other injury news, running back Ian Wheeler and wide receiver Jahdae Walker were activated off the NFI list. The Bears previously designated veteran quarterback Case Keenum for the NFI list but removed him a day later.
Poles noted that left tackle Braxton Jones and rookie tight end Colston Loveland, who dealt with injuries in the spring, are healthy and ready to go for camp. Poles suggested there would be a 'ramp-up period' before they're 100% back to football activities.
Additionally, the Bears signed cornerback Tre Flowers and defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon. Flowers, an eighth-year NFL veteran, spent last season with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts. Kpassagnon is in his ninth season and spent the last four years with Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen with the New Orleans Saints.
To make room for those two, the Bears waived defensive end Jereme Robinson and safety Alex Cook.
Speaking at the lectern in the media room, Johnson asked the assembled media if anyone had seen the Netflix documentary 'Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds.' Few in the room had.
'Spoiler alert,' Johnson warned.
The first-year head coach likened training camp to the preparation process of the Air Force's elite aerial demonstration team.
'It's four new pilots and they've never worked together,' Johnson said. 'Through the course of their training, it's all about earning trust because it's a dangerous job and they're doing some very dangerous acrobatics throughout the air.'
Johnson sees parallels between the Thunderbirds pilots and his football team. There's a new head coach, new coordinators and new position coaches. There are new offensive linemen who must grow comfortable playing together. There's a defense learning a new scheme under Allen.
And then, of course, there's a quarterback working with a new play caller in Johnson.
'Really the next six weeks is about us coming together because it takes time to build that trust,' Johnson said. 'It's hard to earn, and it's really easy to lose that trust.'
Johnson has talked a lot about trust since taking over as head coach in January. Perhaps nowhere is that more important than in the play caller-quarterback relationship. Johnson and Williams need to be on the same page if the Bears offense is going to turn a corner in 2025.
'He and I have been talking all spring, all summer, constant phone calls, constant conversations,' Johnson said. 'And so I think we're in a great place and he wants to get coached hard. And we're going to push him as hard as we can and do what is right for the team.'
Poles spoke publicly for the first time since the Bears awarded him a contract extension earlier this month. The deal matches Poles' duration with Johnson's; both are under contract through the 2029 season.
For a franchise that has been constantly juggling GMs, head coaches and quarterbacks over the last 15 years, this should give Poles and Johnson some stability to build the team together for the next several years.
'I am excited about the alignment and the stability that we have within our leadership group here,' Poles said. 'I have an unbelievable group of people that support me, believe in me, work with me, that help drive what we're doing on our roster and on our football team, and that means a lot.'
In a four-minute statement, Poles addressed Jaylon Johnson's injury, several transactions and his updated contract. He did not, however, answer any questions from the media. That was a notable departure for a GM who typically has answered questions every year as players report.
'My sole focus right now is supporting Ben, his coaching staff, our players and our entire organization and football operation,' Poles said.
Johnson confirmed it will be a three-man race for the left tackle job, as expected. Braxton Jones will compete with second-year pro Kiran Amegadjie and rookie Ozzy Trapilo. All three will get 'a fair shot,' Johnson said.
With only so much time allowed on the practice field, there are limited reps to go around.
'That's why everything's going to matter,' Johnson said. 'Every play matters. It all is going to matter as we go through this thing. I can't tell you I've been through a three-man race before, and so each play is going to be evaluated and they've got to take full advantage of each opportunity that they get.'
As expected, third-year pro Darnell Wright will remain at right tackle. Wright, a 2023 first-round draft pick, worked on the right side throughout organized team activities and minicamp.
As a rookie last year, Amegadjie saw limited action and started one game. Trapilo, a second-round draft pick, started at right tackle the last two seasons at Boston College.
With 40 NFL starts under his belt, Jones likely remains the favorite to win the job. He won the starting left tackle job as a rookie fifth-round pick out of Southern Utah in 2022 and has held the job ever since.
'I would like to think his experience will help him, but we're coming in with blank slates right now,' Johnson said. 'And so just because a guy's played and another guy hasn't in this league, we're going to let the competition play out and we'll see where it goes.'