New quarterback. New offensive and defensive coordinators. New veteran and rookie wide receivers.
And a new hope at Halas Hall.
All will be on display this week when the curtain rises on Chicago Bears training camp after a pivotal offseason for general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus.
Rookies already reported for camp and veterans report Friday, with the first practice slated for Saturday morning in Lake Forest. As the Bears take the next step toward a new era, here are five training camp storylines to watch.
1. The Caleb Show
The Bears head into camp amid serious hype from their fans, with free tickets to the nine open practices selling out quickly.
No. 1 pick Caleb Williams is, of course, at the center of that excitement. Every snap Williams takes in these practices will be scrutinized from the outside, gauging the rookie quarterback’s progress toward the season opener Sept. 8 against the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field.
Nothing is more important in this camp than Williams’ development, though he and the team will have to balance that eagerness for improvement with an understanding there will be ups and downs.
Williams got off to a solid start during his six weeks in the offseason program, demonstrating leadership and a willingness to learn but also weathering some challenges against a feisty Bears defense. Before he left Halas Hall for his brief summer break, he said one of his biggest accomplishments in that time was building connections with his teammates.
“And then also just gaining and building more confidence and trust throughout the Bears and everybody here — but also myself within the offense,” Williams said. “Building that belief, that trust, that confidence and swagger to go out there and play.”
Photos: Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams hosts students at foundation event
Now the expectations will rise — and the task will be more difficult in padded practices.
Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said at the end of organized team activities that he wanted Williams to return for camp with “continued ownership of the scheme, of the operation.” They mapped out what Williams needed to accomplish in his month away from the team.
“That’s studying, that’s putting in the work — even though it’s the downtime — on that relentless pursuit of getting the edge and finding the edge,” Waldron said. “And for him, finding that edge going into training camp, being better than he was when he left here today without the benefit of practices will be so much focused on the studying, the watching tape and then throwing and working on his fundamentals.”
The Bears should find out soon whether Williams made the strides needed to get this new offense rolling.
2. Proof needed
After two turbulent last-place seasons in which his teams lost 24 of 34 games, Eberflus returned this offseason with a new hairstyle, a new beard and a new and more relaxed vibe with the media.
More significantly, Eberflus has a largely new coaching staff around him for his third season, with 12 assistants hired since last season ended. That includes Waldron and quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph, who have a great responsibility to get Williams’ career launched properly.
Waldron won over Eberflus with his communication skills, teaching ability and reputation for adaptability, both in catering his coaching to individual players and in adjusting his approach during games.
If Williams is to become a big-time performer in his first season, his union with Waldron will be key. The Bears offense remains a work in progress with a rookie quarterback at the controls. The faster Williams is able to progress, the quicker the Bears can raise the bar for the 2024 season.
Eberflus must stay grounded and in tune with where Williams is in his development while simultaneously trying to elevate an established defense that can be the team’s engine in the short term. He continues to have Poles’ unwavering support, making it difficult to gauge how much “win or else” pressure actually exists for him in 2024.
But outside noise might amplify and the heat on Eberflus would intensify if the Bears don’t show early progress in the win column.
3. Pump up the volume
Over the final eight games last season, the Bears defense allowed 17.1 points per game while averaging 2.5 sacks and 2.4 takeaways. It was a notable spike in productivity for a unit that benefited greatly from the early November arrival of standout pass rusher Montez Sweat.
Now that same defense — with nine returning starters — has designs on kicking everything up a notch.
With established Pro Bowl performers at all three levels — Sweat and cornerback Jaylon Johnson received their first nods last season — the Bears believe they can be one of the league’s best defenses in 2024 and have been talking about it all offseason. That includes during practice periods, when many a big play during OTAs and minicamp was punctuated with loud, celebratory chirping.
Veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen, a newcomer to Halas Hall, offered perhaps the most fitting review of a defense he labeled “annoying.”
“They look like a top-five defense,” Allen said. “They sound like a top-five defense too.”
The Bears defense wants to play with nonstop tenacity while carrying itself with a confident, nasty edge. New defensive coordinator Eric Washington has described the group as “salty.”
The opportunity to build momentum through July and August — while also challenging the offense to grow up quickly — has arrived.
There are still questions up front. The Bears might continue to shop for a veteran pass rusher to produce opposite Sweat. And tackle Gervon Dexter, a second-round pick in 2023, might have to make a big leap in Year 2 for the defense to reach its full potential.
But as camp begins, the confidence tank is full.
“I definitely feel a lot from this defense as far as chemistry, energy and just the type of timing we have,” cornerback Kyler Gordon said. “For all of us to be on the same page and a step ahead last year, I picture a lot of (big) things for us in the future.”
4. Offensive support
It has been a long time since the Bears have had such an exciting wide receiver corps, and one of the most intriguing parts of camp will be watching how additions Allen and Rome Odunze and returnee DJ Moore help ease Williams’ transition.
Williams will need to develop connections with them — along with tight end Cole Kmet, running back D’Andre Swift and others — while Waldron finds ways to use a deep supporting cast.
Of particular interest will be how Williams and Odunze, the No. 9 pick, grow together. Williams already is impressed with Odunze’s competitiveness and willingness to learn.
“His mindset is: ‘I’m going to be able to play. I’m going to be on the field. But I’m also going to take in and soak in all I can from the guys like Keenan that have been doing it for 12, 13 years,’” Williams said.
The Bears also made a few additions up front to help protect Williams, bringing in interior linemen Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton, who will compete at center; versatile backup Matt Pryor; and developing rookie Kiran Amegadjie. But they largely are counting on the continued growth of their returnees.
Poles didn’t go after a left tackle in the first round, opting for Odunze instead, so a big spotlight will be on Braxton Jones in his third season after a neck injury affected him in Year 2.
Other questions include these: Will left guard Teven Jenkins stay healthy and earn a new contract? Will right guard Nate Davis meet expectations in his second season with the Bears? And what’s the next level for 2023 first-round pick Darnell Wright at right tackle?
“He can be a great player in this league, and we’ve got a lot of work to do,” offensive line coach Chris Morgan said of Wright. “A lot of work to do in a lot of areas, the consistency part of it. He’s got a plan and he knows what to do, and when we get back, we’re going to rip it.”
5. Lights, camera, action
Since HBO started its documentary series “Hard Knocks” in 2001, the Bears never have been featured — until now.
Williams’ first NFL training camp will be under a national spotlight when the HBO and NFL Films series moves into Halas Hall to dive into the inner workings of the team and the players’ stories.
The five-episode series will debut Aug. 6, five days after the preseason opener against the Houston Texans in Canton, Ohio.
Players and coaches largely said they were excited about the show. Eberflus was a part of the series when he was the Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator and said the Bears have a “great plan in place” for how to handle the extra attention.
“We had a real positive attitude about it (in Indianapolis),” Eberflus said during OTAs. “We had really good people in the building and our message was going to be who we are and how we operate. No one changes how they act. No one changes what they do. We just focus on our job.
“And they’re going to have special-interest stories that they do, which I think some of them are really good. And we have a lot of them here in our building, so I’m excited to see that.”
