As the Chicago Bears open training camp, everyone on the roster is looking to make a strong first impression on head coach Ben Johnson. But with a trio of rookie absences, Johnson doesn’t have the full Bears arsenal at his disposal.
Wide receiver Luther Burden is day-to-day with a soft tissue injury. Johnson is hopeful that’ll only keep him out for a few days, although there’s no set schedule for his return. Fellow second-rounder Shemar Turner suffered an ankle injury on Wednesday and is being further evaluated. Fifth-rounder Zah Frazier is away from the team due to personal reasons, via Chicago’s Thursday press conference.
#Bears HC Ben Johnson says WR Luther Burden III is day-to-day with soft-tissue injury, DE Shemar Turner suffered ankle injury yesterday that's being evaluated and CB Zah Frazier has been excused today for personal reasons.
— Larry Mayer (@LarryMayer) July 24, 2025
The Bears are being cautious with Burden, as they know how crucial he will be for the offseason. But at the same time, Johnson knows that for the rookie for fully understand the offense, he must be on the field.
“We were very hopeful he would be ready to go day one. But the soft tissue he was dealing with in the spring time lingered a little bit longer than we wanted,” Johnson said. “Really, it’s day-to-day with him. Hopeful we’ll get him out there fairly soon though.”
“Everything our training staff says we can do with him physically, we’re utilizing. Coach [Antwaan] Randle El has been all over him in meetings, keeping him involved. He’s being quizzed non-stop. He’s utilizing that time the best he can,” he continued. “But there’s really no substitute for full speed reps. So, the sooner we get him out there, the quicker he can carve out a roll for himself.”
Chicago Bears 2025 rookie class
The Bears’ rookie injury problems started with first-rounder Colston Loveland. After going No. 10 overall, the tight end sat out the entire offseason program as he recovered from shoulder surgery. But Loveland has now been officially cleared and is back on the training camp gridiron.
Chicago may have a pair of injured second-rounders, but their third, Ozzy Trapilo, is in a heated position battle. He received the first-team reps at left tackle to open training camp. He will continue to split reps with Braxton Jones and Kiran Amegadjie in an effort to earn the starting role.
Fourth-rounder Ruben Hyppolite is battling for the third linebacker job while seventh-rounder Kyle Monangai looks to earn a share of the running back work. Sixth-rounder Luke Newman is solidifying his role as an offensive line backup.
But most pertinent to the Bears at the moment are the injuries to Turner and Burden. Chicago must wait for more information on Turner and hope that Burden’s soft tissue ailment only keeps him off the field a few days.
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