(2) Johnson detailed his goals for this year’s camp, which begins with non-contact practices Wednesday through Saturday.
“You talk about where we’re at as a team, what training camp means and it’s just another step for what we’re building,” he said. “The foundation’s already being put in place in the springtime; we’re looking to build on that as we go over the course of camp. Competition I think exists at all levels of our roster. It’s going to bring out the best in all our guys … There are certain battles that we’ve already highlighted that might take precedence over the course of camp, but I think everything’s open. I’m really excited to see where that leads.”
Johnson revealed that the Bears will work heavily on situational football and seek to “not only master our fundamentals over the next couple weeks but also execute the playbook and really bring it to life.”
(3) With so many new players and coaches, building trust will also be a key objective.
Johnson likened the situation to a Netflix documentary that chronicles how the elite pilots of the Air Force Thunderbirds train together.
“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 said.
“As I think about our team and where we’re going in training camp, there are a lot of parallels … Really the next six weeks is about us coming together because it takes time to build that trust. It’s hard to earn, and it’s really easy to lose that trust, and so really those next six weeks are huge.”
Johnson added that the Bears are looking for dependability and consistency, saying: “It’s production on a day-in and day-out basis, not only from the players but from the coaching staff as well as we get to know each other. That’s really a big part of where we’re at and what we’re looking to do right now.”
(4) Johnson hopes the Bears will improve a little every day.
“There’s a lot of excitement around the program and I think rightfully so,” he said. “There’s a lot of talent on the roster. Looking forward to seeing what leaders come out of the locker room and really lead the charge for us going into the fall.
“The focus for us is going to be on continuous improvement. Really for the next six weeks, that’s all we care about is getting a little bit better every single day—day-by-day, brick-by-brick, and that starts today.”
(5) Left tackle Braxton Jones and rookie first-round pick Colston Loveland, a tight end from Michigan, both have been cleared to practice.
“Those guys put in a ton of work alongside our trainers, Andre Tucker, Pierre [Ngo], Brent Salazar, to return and be ready to go for training camp,” Johnson said. “We’re excited to get those guys back going again. I’m sure there’s going to be a ramp-up period. They haven’t played football in a while. But really, they’re ready to go, knock that rust off and get going.”
Jones sustained a broken ankle in the second-to-last game last season. Now healthy, he will compete with 2024 third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie and 2025 second-round selection Ozzy Trapilo for the starting left tackle position.
While Jones has manned the position in each of his first three NFL seasons, that won’t necessarily give him a leg up in the competition.
“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.”
Loveland, who was selected by the Bears with the 10th pick in the draft, returns after undergoing shoulder surgery in January.
“From the moment he’s gotten into the building, I’m just blown away by how he approaches everything,” Johnson said. “I don’t think there’s a guy I saw in the building more this summer than him, and it’s really a credit to who he wants to be, as he’s attacking the rehab hard. He wants to be a factor here this fall.”
(6) Poles indicated that Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson will open camp on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list with a leg injury he sustained while training.
“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. It’s going to take a little bit of time, but [I’m] not overly concerned about long-term.”
(7) Johnson has high expectations for Williams.
As a rookie, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft completed 62.5% of his passes for 3,541 yards with 20 touchdowns, six interceptions and an 87.7 passer rating.
“We certainly have goals that we strive for,” Johnson said. “It’s not a secret. I told him I would love for him this season to complete 70% of his balls. So you would like to think over the course of practice that we’re completing 70% or more, or that’s hard to just magically arise in a game. It’s a lofty goal, but it’s one we’re going to strive for. We’re going to use that as a benchmark and kind of work from there.”
Johnson feels that Williams is primed to ascend in his second NFL season.
“I think we’re ready to go,” said the Bears coach. “The governor is off. He and I have been talking all spring, all summer, constant phone calls, constant conversations. 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.”
(8) Williams also shared his individual goals with the media.
“Being the first 4,000-yard passer in Bears history, that’s a goal of mine,” he said. “Seventy-percent completion, that helps the team, keeps us on the field, puts us in better positions. And then other than that, just trying to go down and score the most points that we can with each drive that we have. That’s kind of my self-goal, and obviously other than that, you’ve got to go win. That’s success for me. That’s success for the team. That’s all we wish for and I wish for.”
(9) Entering his 11th NFL season, Jarrett still takes pride in his ability to defend both the run and the pass at a high level.
“That’s something that’s definitely a tool of mine,” he said. “It was important to me as a young player. When I used to play first, second down, I wanted to learn to be a better pass rusher, so I did that. I was able to be an all-down defensive lineman and just play up and down the line of scrimmage.
“That’s something that I really take pride in: being flexible, being able to play three-technique, nose in the run game, being able to rush out from fives to nines in the pass game. Just do whatever I need to do to be a versatile piece of the defense but also be super effective.”
(10) While Johnson is anticipating some clunky moments early in camp, he’s looking forward to joint practices with the Dolphins and Bills to see how the Bears stack up.
“The first couple weeks it’s going to be big installation, so the guys are going to be thinking and mistakes are going to be made,” Johnson said. “I think a lot will come out of these joint practices that we have with Miami and Buffalo. [They] will be a good barometer to see where we’re at as a team.”
Asked how much he expects starters to play in preseason games, the Bears coach said: “I’m going to put a lot of weight into these joint practices. That’s our initial plan and we’ll see how much we play guys over the course of the preseason games.”
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