The Chicago Bears opened their 2024 training camp with a light practice that was closed to the public Saturday at Halas Hall.
The Bears are still a week away from putting on pads, but coach Matt Eberflus said he could tell even in the early going that his players had studied and prepared during their month off. Their execution was on point.
“You can see they leveled up,” Eberflus said, using his new catchphrase.
Here’s the camp rundown from Day 1 in Lake Forest.
Caleb Williams watch
Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was included among the players who had “leveled up,” according to Eberflus, who said the Bears were in and out of the huddle quickly Saturday but for one instance.
Wide receiver Keenan Allen said he thought Williams was “real solid” in his knowledge of the playbook.
“He called the plays way better than he was at OTAs,” Allen said. “He felt confident in the plays and knowing what he was doing. There was no timidness from him today.”
The Bears offense didn’t have many opportunities for splashy highlights during the short session, which included some work without helmets. But Williams did make one interesting play during an unsuccessful two-minute drill.
He threw a pass that bounced off the defensive line. (Eberflus said it might have bounced off defensive tackle Gervon Dexter’s chest because he’s “like as big as a mountain.”) Williams then caught the deflection and sped forward for more yards, which Eberflus called “pretty cool.”
“He’s got good quickness, obviously a good athlete,” Eberflus said.
Player in the spotlight
Allen, the 12th-year, six-time Pro Bowl receiver who joined the Bears via trade in March, is among the players Williams is leaning on as he navigates his first NFL training camp. The duo stayed together at a hotel during the offseason program and went over plays while watching the NBA playoffs and playing cards. Williams called out the play, and Allen drew it up, and vice versa.
Allen called the time together “big” as they try to get on the same page.
“I’m not a guy who masters the playbook by any means sitting at home just looking at the playbook,” Allen said. “That’s not how I learn it. I’m a trial-and-error guy. I learn through mistakes. … Just being able to go through it with him, we talk about the play — what I like, what I’m used to, what I usually see — and then going over the knowledge, making sure we’re on the same page. Just being able to communicate at this level.”
Allen also went to a couple of throwing sessions with Williams in Los Angeles, going over plays and running routes on air to help strengthen their on-field connection.
“I just try to make it easy for him,” Allen said. “Make sure we’re seeing things eye to eye and get to the spots that he likes, whatever spots that he can see versus what I’m seeing. And then just being on the same page.”
News of the day
One change to the Bears training camp this year is they did not schedule a Family Fest at Soldier Field.
The Bears held the Family Fest practice in front of fans on their home turf for the last three years, including the first two years under Eberflus.
Eberflus said the timing didn’t work out this year for the Bears, who have an extra preseason game because of their participation in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 1 in Canton, Ohio. Soldier Field also has soccer matches and two concerts scheduled over the next month-plus.
“I wish we had it,” Eberflus said. “I love that experience because it’s great for the players to be able to get in there and do that. It just didn’t work with the Hall of Fame Game and where the schedule fit and how the sequencing of practices and days off worked out this year.”
The Bears will welcome fans to Halas Hall for nine camp practices, starting July 26. But free tickets for those practices were gone quickly.
Quote of note
“I’ve been on some talented rosters to where we’ve had a lot of upside. I’m tired of just having upside and having potential. I want to be in a position where we actually go out there and we are that — and not just what we’re projected to be. It’s about action at this point, so the projections, the energy, the enthusiasm all feels good in the beginning because everybody, every team, every fan (says), ‘Oh, this is our year, this is our year.’ … Nah, we’ve got to go out here and we’ve got to prove it. And I think that starts with Day 1, starts with today.” — Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson on if camp has a different feeling given higher outside expectations.
Seen and heard
Photos: QB Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears at their 1st practice of training camp
Eberflus has promised to try different personnel groupings at practices — at wide receiver, on the offensive line and in the pass rush. But a look at the first practice’s first-team offensive line was notable, specifically because Ryan Bates was at center.
The Bears have called it a competition at center between Bates and Coleman Shelton, who both joined the Bears in the offseason, as they look to replace Lucas Patrick and Cody Whitehair.
“We ask our centers to have really good movement skills and be very intelligent,” Eberflus said when asked about Bates. “We run a lot of inside, outside zone. We’re jumping to the second level, to the linebackers, so they’ve got to be able to get on them, to stick on them and stay. He has that. And then, the ability to make the calls, move the protections when need be, be a great communicator — that’s what Batesy does.”
Injury update
Eberflus announced left tackle Braxton Jones and linebacker T.J. Edwards would be limited to open camp. He said they are recovering from issues from summer training and the Bears believe it’s “nothing major.”
Jones and Edwards participated in the walk-through portions of practice. But Larry Borom filled in for Jones during some team work, while Jack Sanborn stepped in for Edwards.
“They’re moving around, so they’re close,” Eberflus said.
Rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze missed the first practice for personal reasons, but Eberflus expects him back Sunday, barring travel delays.
Eberflus said tight end Gerald Everett, who was placed on the Non-Football Injury list Friday, is “day to day” with his injury.
