The Bears head into the third week of training camp with a lot more uncertainty than they’d prefer, and most of it traces back to injuries. The damage has touched both sides of the ball, with the secondary hit especially hard, leaving Chicago to lean on young and inexperienced depth to keep things moving.
Before the first preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, the Bears still have several major camp questions hanging in the air. Health sits at the top of the list. It’s not something the team can fully control, but the situation has been rough enough that another wave of injuries could turn the 2026 season into a nightmare.
The wide receiver group is another spot under the microscope. Luther Burden III and Zavion Thomas are both sidelined, which opens the door for someone else to make noise.
Kaden Davis has already been a pleasant surprise, though his path to the roster still looks unlikely. That puts more attention on Kalif Raymond and Jahdae Walker to see whether they can make plays in practice.
There’s also the question of how Malik Muhammad fits into the picture. He came into camp expecting to battle Tyrique Stevenson for the starting CB2 job, but Kyler Gordon’s soft-tissue injury may shift Muhammad into the nickel role instead. So far, the early signs have been encouraging, and the Bears will be watching closely to see whether he can take another step this week.
Caleb Williams is dealing with his own set of missing pieces, too. Braxton Jones is not there at left tackle, and two wide receivers are also out.
Chicago wants to be sure nothing is getting in the way of Williams showing the kind of growth they expect from him. The goal is simple: keep him on track and keep him looking like the MVP candidate the Bears believe he can be.
And then there’s the defensive line, where the Bears are hoping to see real progress. Rookie Jordan van den Berg has flashed enough to look like a player with a long NFL future, but Dayo Odeyingbo and Austin Booker need to keep developing. That unit has to keep trending upward, and how it performs in camp remains one of the biggest things to monitor.
In Other News...
Kaden Davis Is Forcing His Way Into A Tough Bears Roster Battle
Kaden Davis has spent much of his NFL journey bouncing between practice squads and the UFL, so the current Bears camp push carries a different kind of weight. The fifth-year receiver has been showing well in training camp, and for a player still trying to carve out a foothold in the league, every sharp day matters as Chicago sorts through the back end of its wide receiver group.
The path is a crowded one, especially for a player trying to win over coaches while others around him bring special teams and return value into the mix. Davis does not need to be the headliner in this offense, but he does need to keep stacking practices and keep making the kind of case that is hard to ignore when roster decisions start getting real. [Read more 🡒]
Rome Odunze Is Turning The Bears WR1 Battle Into A Real Debate
The first two weeks of Bears camp have done exactly what a good receiver battle should do: sharpen the conversation around who can become Caleb Williams top target. With DJ Moore gone, Chicago is still sorting through its next WR1, and the early window has featured both Rome Odunze and Luther Burden as part of that evaluation. Burdens injury has complicated the picture, but Odunze has stayed in the mix by flashing in ways that make the competition feel more real than theoretical.
Odunze has stacked together the kind of highlight plays that get noticed quickly in August, and his case is simple enough. The Bears need someone to seize the primary pass-catching role, and the early returns suggest he is pushing hard to make that leap. Burdens availability remains a factor, but even with that uncertainty, this has become one of the more interesting camp decisions for Chicago as the offense tries to find a new lead option. [Read more 🡒]
Bears O Line Suddenly Has A Reason For Real Optimism
Ryan Poles gave the Bears a little more clarity on Ozzy Trapilos recovery, and for a line that has spent plenty of time searching for stability, it matters. The left tackle dealt with a ruptured patellar tendon, but his rookie season in 2025 showed why Chicago had reason to be encouraged when he was pressed into action on the blind side. Pro Football Focus numbers backed up what the Bears saw on the field, and it was enough to make Trapilo look like more than just a temporary fill-in.
The next step is less about rushing and more about timing, with the focus on getting him back into football work in a way that actually prepares him to play. Poles said the Bears are hoping to have Trapilo back for part of training camp or in September, which at least gives the offensive line a real target to circle. For a unit trying to build confidence heading into the season, the biggest question now is whether he can get through the kind of practice work that turns recovery into readiness. [Read more 🡒]