LAKE FOREST, Ill. (104.3 The Score) — The Bears opened the doors of Halas Hall on Friday for their new class of players as rookie minicamp began.
It’s the next phase of the offseason as the Bears look to identify which rookies and tryout players can potentially play fill a role in their plans. For second-year head coach Ben Johnson, rookie minicamp also represents an opportunity to instill values in the young players.
Here are five takeaways from the work in Lake Forest on Friday.
Honing on the details
Rookie minicamp is fairly straightforward. The Bears worked for nearly an hour inside the Walter Payton Center on Friday morning. Players were in helmets and shells as their work focused on the fundamentals.
That’s what Johnson and his staff are looking for as players work through the offseason program. The Bears are focused on the details once again.
“It’s more about just introducing them to our way of life,” Johnson said.
On the second snap of rookie minicamp, a whistle blew to call the Bears’ offense back. They weren’t aligned properly.
That pre-snap whistle was commonplace last spring and summer as the Bears worked ahead of a 2025 season in which they won the NFC North and advanced to the divisional round. If players weren’t lined up properly, coaches’ voices were raised. Often times, it was Johnson himself delivering a stern message.
As the Bears reset in Johnson’s second offseason, they've stripped it all back down to the most basic details. Rookie safety Dillon Thieneman, the No. 25 overall pick in the NFL Draft two weeks ago, admitted he’s “still figuring out” what Johnson’s way of life truly incorporates.
That's the challenge for any rookie hoping to make an impact.
“I’m really pleased with what it looks like,” Johnson said. “These guys are dialed in, they’re very focused. And the whole coaching staff is going back to the basics and those guys are really embracing that mindset.”
Thieneman ready to click
In the modern NFL, the two safety positions don’t necessarily feature labels. That’s the case for the Bears' new tandem at the back end of the secondary.
The Bears signed safety Coby Bryant to a three-year deal worth $40 million in free agency, then used their first-round pick on the dynamic Thieneman. They believe both players will fit their defensive identity well.
It isn't clear yet how the Bears will utilize Bryant and Thieneman, but their versatility will give the team intriguing possibilities. For now, Thieneman is eager to build chemistry with Bryant.
“It’s just getting to know him like personally,” Thieneman said. “Just off the field, kind of like build a relationship, connection there. And then once you get on the field, start making calls, start like asking questions, working with him, and then we'll kind of get on the same page and it's almost like once you get to a certain level, you almost like don't have to talk because you're thinking about the same thing.”
Eager to work with Roush
Twenty-two tight ends were selected in this past NFL Draft. The sixth one off the board was Stanford's Sam Roush, whom the Bears selected at No. 69 overall in the third round.
For Johnson and the Bears, adding Roush alongside tight ends Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet is part of the vision for the offense.
“We were fortunate to get one that we feel really highly about that can contribute — run game, pass pro, catching down the field,” Johnson said. “We feel like we got one of the more complete tight ends that this draft had to offer.
“Where the league is going, obviously, teams have had success with the two-tight end, three-tight end sets. Things always go full circle it seems like. It wasn't that long ago that three-receiver sets were kind of the norm, and now it seems to be transitioning a little bit more.”
The Bears have also signed Iowa tight end Hayden Large as an undrafted free agent. Johnson spoke to Large prior to the NFL Draft and had told him the Bears were interested in selecting him, but they turned their attention elsewhere in the draft after nabbing Roush.
Bears legacies get a shot
More than two decades ago, the Bears lined up with Olin Kreutz wearing No. 57 and James “Big Cat” Williams in No. 71 on their offensive line. At rookie minicamp Friday, their sons donned those numbers.
Josh Kreutz, an undrafted center out of Illinois, and Jai Williams, an undrafted defensive lineman out of Quincy, each donned their fathers’ jersey numbers as part of a tryout with the Bears.
“I mean, I knew I wanted to play in the NFL and I’m happy I got a tryout,” Kreutz said. “Especially with the Bears being a hometown kid and being a Bears fan my whole life, just excited to have a tryout but really want to get on the 90-man roster. That’s my goal being here.”
Legendary number
For the first time since Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher retired, a Bears player is wearing No. 54.
That would be rookie center Logan Jones, who was encouraged to do so by longtime Bears equipment manager Tony Medlin. Jones received the blessing to do so and called it an honor to wear Urlacher's old number.
"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."
Chris Emma covers the Bears and the Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
