Zavion Thomas has wasted no time making his speed impossible to ignore at Bears training camp.
The third-round rookie has been turning heads in Chicago as both a return option and a receiver, and the buzz around him has only grown since he arrived. Even after missing a significant stretch of camp because of a minor knee injury, Thomas has still managed to leave a strong impression on the coaching staff.
Offensive coordinator Press Taylor had plenty of praise for him.
"You see the flashes. We get the reports at the end of the day of miles per hour, and he's always beyond 20.
So that's something you see. You saw it in the game the other day with a few opportunities and what he's able to do with it.
I don't know how many people have taken one 97 on their first touch in the NFL, but that's something he's gifted with. But there's so much more that goes into earning a role for yourself week to week.
And so that's something he's going to continue to prove and earn as we go into the season."
That kind of speed jumps off the field immediately, and Thomas has already shown he can do damage once the ball is in his hands. The bigger question is how that translates into a real role once the season starts.
Chicago has loaded up its offense with enough talent that Thomas is stepping into a crowded receiver group, one that has already pushed experienced wideouts to the practice squad. That makes the path to snaps a little tricky on offense, but there’s another lane that looks much more open.
With Devin Duvernay now gone to the Cardinals, Thomas has a real chance to claim the Bears’ primary return job. He’s already flashed in preseason, and the team made sure that moment got noticed.
"He gone be a problem" 😏 pic.twitter.com/YolAk4IrLO
- Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 31, 2026
Thomas may not open Week 1 in Charlotte as a starter. That job is likely to go to Khalif Raymond, the veteran who has also been helping him along. Still, that wouldn’t shut the door on Thomas making an impact when the games count.
No matter how the starting lineup shakes out, Thomas is a player worth tracking. The Bears are shaping up to have one of the league’s most versatile offenses, and his rare speed figures to be part of that picture.
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