Bears Camp Buzz: Full Roster, Fierce Battles & a Fresh Era Under Coach Ben Johnson
The wait is over. Halas Hall is buzzing again as the Chicago Bears have officially reported for training camp, kicking off what’s expected to be one of the most exciting and transitional preseasons in recent memory. With new head coach Ben Johnson now at the helm, there’s a sense of renewed hope, intense competition, and electric energy flowing through the facility.
If you're a Bears fan, this is your first real look at the new-look squad. It’s not just about watching players stretch and run drills — it’s about earning jobs, proving value, and fighting to avoid that roster cut when 91 players become 53.
🟠 Key Dates to Keep in Mind
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Wednesday: First official practice
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Friday: First open-to-the-public session — bring your sunglasses, your camera, and that Bear Down spirit.
⚔️ Competition Is Heating Up
Forget coasting into a role — this training camp is built for battles. From top rookies to undrafted longshots, nobody is safe. With a roster packed to the brim at 91 (including punter Tory Taylor, who’s on the roster-exempt list), there's only so much room on that final 53-man regular-season squad. The position wars will be fierce across both offense and defense.
🔥 Let’s Talk Offense: Weapons, Rookies, and Quarterback Drama
One of the biggest storylines? The quarterback room. It’s a crowded one — and an intriguing one:
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#18 Caleb Williams: The highly-anticipated rookie QB1 from USC. All eyes are on him.
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#17 Tyson Bagent and #16 Austin Reed: Young talents looking to make a name for themselves.
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#11 Case Keenum: The seasoned vet — potentially a stabilizing force in the locker room.
Don’t overlook the wide receiver crew. It's stacked with speed, size, and youth:
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#2 DJ Moore is still WR1, and coming off a breakout season.
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Rookie #15 Rome Odunze is the name to circle. He’s already creating hype.
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#10 Tyler Scott, #12 Devin Duvernay, #14 Olamide Zaccheaus, and #87 Luther Burden III round out a group that might be one of the most versatile in the league.
The backfield is just as crowded:
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#4 D’Andre Swift, #23 Roschon Johnson, and #21 Travis Homer all bring something different to the table.
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Rookie #25 Kyle Monangai and #35 Deion Hankins will have to fight tooth and nail for touches.
Meanwhile, the offensive line is an interesting mix of youth and experience, anchored by:
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#58 Darnell Wright, #70 Braxton Jones, and #62 Joe Thuney
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Rookies like #72 Kiran Amegadjie and #75 Ozzy Trapilo are looking to prove they can hang with the big guys.
Tight ends? Oh, they’re loaded too:
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#85 Cole Kmet leads the pack.
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Keep an eye on #84 Colston Loveland, a sneaky breakout candidate from Michigan.
🛡️ Defense: Deep, Physical, and Built to Hit
Defense wins championships, and the Bears are looking to bring back that gritty, smashmouth style that once defined them. The defensive backfield is crowded with playmakers:
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#1 Jaylon Johnson and #6 Kyler Gordon return as the starting corners.
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#9 Jaquan Brisker and #31 Kevin Byard are a tough, veteran safety duo.
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Rookies #33 Tysheem Johnson and #35 Major Burns are raw, but talented.
Then there’s the linebacker room — where the heart of the defense beats loudest:
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#49 Tremaine Edmunds and #53 T.J. Edwards are the two pillars.
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#44 Noah Sewell, #45 Amen Ogbongbemiga, and #57 Power Echols will scrap for every snap.
In the trenches, expect a full-blown battle for reps at edge and tackle:
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#98 Montez Sweat, #99 Gervon Dexter Sr., #96 Zacch Pickens, and #50 Grady Jarrett form a dangerous unit.
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#94 Austin Booker and #92 Daniel Hardy could be this year’s breakout edge rushers.
💥 Don’t Sleep on Special Teams
Let’s not forget the specialists — the unsung heroes who flip field position and decide tight games:
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#8 Cairo Santos remains one of the most consistent kickers in the league.
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Newcomer #19 Tory Taylor, the punter from Iowa, has fans and scouts alike buzzing.
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#46 Scott Daly and #43 Luke Elkin handle long snapping duties, often overlooked but absolutely crucial.
And yes, rookie kicker #27 Jonathan Kim is in camp. His leg strength is wild. Could this mean competition for Santos?
📋 Full 91-Man Roster: Number by Number
Offense Highlights:
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QB: #11 Case Keenum, #16 Austin Reed, #17 Tyson Bagent, #18 Caleb Williams
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RB: #4 D’Andre Swift, #21 Travis Homer, #23 Roschon Johnson, #25 Kyle Monangai
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WR: #2 DJ Moore, #10 Tyler Scott, #12 Devin Duvernay, #14 Zaccheaus, #15 Odunze, #87 Burden III
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TE: #85 Kmet, #84 Loveland, #81 Smythe
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OL: #58 Wright, #70 Jones, #62 Thuney, #72 Amegadjie, #75 Trapilo
Defense Highlights:
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CB/S: #1 Jaylon Johnson, #6 Gordon, #9 Brisker, #31 Byard, #33 Tysheem Johnson
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LB: #49 Edmunds, #53 Edwards, #44 Sewell, #57 Echols
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DL/EDGE: #98 Sweat, #99 Dexter, #94 Booker, #50 Jarrett
Special Teams:
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K: #8 Santos, #27 Kim
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P: #19 Taylor
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LS: #43 Elkin, #46 Daly
🧠 Big Picture
It’s early, but this Bears team has the depth, youth, and leadership to build something real. There’s a feeling that Coach Ben Johnson is laying a new foundation — one based on competition, flexibility, and raw potential.
In a division that’s wide open, the Bears are going to surprise a lot of people — if the right players rise during camp. Expect fireworks as we move toward that 53-man final roster.
Stay locked in. Training camp has just begun, and it’s already feeling like a season worth watching.
✅ Quick Takeaways:
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91-man roster is loaded with young talent.
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QB Caleb Williams has officially entered the building.
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WR battles are going to be electric.
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Defense looks deep and aggressive across all units.
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Special teams could be sneaky strong, especially with Taylor booming punts.
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