While all training camps are important, 2025’s will be franchise changing for the Chicago Bears. As Ben Johnson steps into his new role as head coach, he’ll be evaluating all aspects of the roster. Training camp is the first opportunity Johnson will have to see his first Bears team at large.
Chicago was aggressive over the offseason giving their head coach a much more dynamic roster to work with. Still, there are plenty of areas of concern that still need to be addressed. This is a Bears team coming off of a 5-12 season after all.
As Johnson surveys Chicago, there are plenty of positions he’ll be paying close attention to. Of the entire Bears roster, these three position battles will answer plenty of questions in training camp.
Who protects Caleb Williams’ blindside?
The Bears traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson before signing center Drew Dalman in free agency. Darnell Wright is still holding the fort down at right tackle. The only question remaining is who plays opposite him on the left side.
Braxton Jones is the incumbent in the three-headed race, making 40 starts for the Bears since joining the team in 2022. He has looked impressive when healthy too, ranking 21/140 tackles with his 77.4 grade from Pro Football Focus. The only problem has been injuries, as Jones has been absent all offseason recovering from a season-ending ankle injury. He played in just 12 games in 2024 after starting 11 in 2023. Jones must prove he can stay on the field before anything else.
Battling with him is a pair of young players in Kiran Amegadjie and Ozzy Trapilo. Amegadjie is a former third-round pick who dealt with his own injury problems as a rookie. Trapilo is a second-round rookie who has gained plenty of buzz throughout the offseason. Both traded off first-team reps with Jones being out, which could give either an upper hand in the competition.
But it’ll be fully settled in training camp. By the end of the festivities, quarterback Caleb Williams will be well aware of who is protecting his blindside.
Ben Johnson needs rushing leader
The run game was a crucial element of Johnson’s success with the Detroit Lions. In 2024, the Lions’ run game ranked sixth in the league, averaging 146.4 yards per game. With the Bears ranking 25th, averaging 102 YPG, in the same metric, Johnson knows things need to massively improve in 2025.
As it stands, Chicago’s running back room is occupied by D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson and Kyle Monangai. It won’t be a traditional training camp competition, as Swift is the presumed starter. But all three will be looking to prove to Johnson that they fit his offense like a glove.
Swift ran for 959 yards and six touchdowns in his Bears debut. Averaging just 3.8 yards per carry, he needs to be a bit more explosive with his touchdowns. Johnson was able to match his six touchdowns, but it came on just 55 carries with 150 total yards. He’ll need to prove he can handle a larger workload. Monangai has gotten plenty of hype over the offseason for his work at Rutgers. But as a seventh-round rookie, his path to making an immediate impact is murky at best.
Training camp can change the fortune of any of the three running backs. Ultimately, Johnson just needs to know where he stands in terms of optimizing his run game.
Chicago Bears must find LB3
Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards are the unquestioned leaders at the linebacker position. However, someone needs to step up behind them and fill Chicago’s third linebacker role after Jack Sanborn’s departure.
The two strongest competitors are Ruben Hyppolite II and Noah Sewell. While another option could come out of nowhere or the Bears can go outside of their organization, the pair of youngsters make for Chicago’s best options behind Edmunds and Edwards.
Sewell is entering his third season in the Windy City and it’ll certainly be make-or-break. While general manager Ryan Poles drafted him, Johnson was apart of his selection. Over his two years with the team, Sewell has registered just 13 tackles and two forced fumbles. Training camp will be a crucial opportunity for Sewell to prove he fits the scheme.
Hyppolite was the Bears’ fourth-round pick in the most recent NFL Draft. It came as a bit of a shock, as he wasn’t invited to the scouting combine nor was he on many analyst’s big boards. Still, the linebacker dazzled Chicago with his reported 4.39 40-yard dash at Maryland’s Pro Day. Clearly Johnson and defensive coordinator are impressed by Hyppolite’s athleticism. Now he just needs to prove he can be an impact linebacker in the Windy City.
There have been plenty of changes to Chicago’s defense. But linebacker remains arguably the unit’s biggest question remaining.
Chicago Bears announce 2025 training camp dates
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