LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears' 2025 training camp runs from Wednesday to Aug. 28 at the team's headquarters at Halas Hall.
It's hard to count how many times the Bears have been crowned offseason champions only to fall short of expectations September through early January, but the level of excitement in Chicago feels different in 2025. The Bears landed the most sought-after head coaching candidate in Ben Johnson, significantly upgraded their weakest link (the offensive line) and have a team ready to contend around quarterback Caleb Williams.
The NFC North is once again a gauntlet, and the Bears have the longest odds to win the division at +450, according to ESPN Bet. But the way the team has been positioned to bounce back from a 5-12 finish has generated optimism.
Here's a closer look at what to watch for at camp -- and a 53-man roster projection:
How long does it take for the offense to establish its identity?
Chicago hired an offensive mastermind in Johnson, whose Detroit units led the NFL in points per game (29.0) during his three seasons as offensive coordinator (2022-24). While Johnson said he wasn't going to plop the Lions' playbook in front of Bears players, the characteristics of this scheme -- heavy play-action, pre-snap motion, strong pass protection and a dominant rushing attack -- are being established in Chicago.
Last season's Bears offense felt rudderless, so the quicker this unit can form its identity will play a direct role in Williams' second-year development. Johnson transformed Detroit into one of the most feared offenses in the NFL while turning around Jared Goff's career. The moves the Bears have made since his arrival -- like overhauling the interior of the offensive line and drafting a tight end with a top-10 pick -- show that Johnson's blueprint is being followed.
Three players to watch
QB Caleb Williams. If Williams wants to continue the trend of quarterbacks drafted No. 1 overall showing significant improvement in Year 2 (like Kyler Murray and Joe Burrow before him), taking another league-high 68 sacks is a nonstarter. Improving how quickly he gets the ball to his playmakers is a critical feat he looks to achieve in 2025. Williams had the seventh-longest average time before passing (2.92 seconds, per NFL Next Gen Stats) in 2024, a trend that carried over from his collegiate days at USC and Oklahoma (third highest in FBS from 2021-23 at 3.19 seconds).
TE Colston Loveland. Johnson's first-ever draft pick didn't practice during the spring while recovering from AC joint reconstruction, but the Bears are optimistic Loveland will be ready to go at the start of training camp. The sooner Loveland builds rapport with Williams and proves himself as a top pass-catching option (much like TE Sam LaPorta did in Detroit under Johnson's watch), the more effectively Chicago can center its offense around heavy 12 personnel (2 TEs, 2 WRs, 1 RB).
CB Tyrique Stevenson. The struggles of the Bears defense were well-documented after Stevenson's tipped Hail Mary against Washington sparked a 10-game losing streak. While Stevenson said his new coaches didn't feel the need to discuss last year's blunder, Bears fans certainly haven't forgotten how the cornerback's antics affected the team. Outside of Williams, there isn't a brighter spotlight on a Bears player than the one that illuminates Stevenson. Everything he does in training camp, from one-on-one battles to how he fares opposite Jaylon Johnson in team drills, will be magnified.
Key position battles
Left tackle. Who will protect Williams' blindside is the biggest position battle entering camp. Kiran Amegadjie and rookie second-rounder Ozzy Trapilo split reps with the ones at left tackle throughout the spring, but adding incumbent starter Braxton Jones into the mix upon his return from ankle surgery will help the Bears solve their only true question mark along the offensive line.
Running back. The Bears had one of the least effective run games in 2024, ranking 31st in both rushing yards per game (79.0) and yards per rush (3.7) on designed run plays (excluding scrambles and kneel downs). Chicago didn't add at running back until the seventh round when it drafted Rutgers' Kyle Monangai, and whether the Bears have enough firepower in the backfield to emulate the success of the Lions' top-6 rushing attack depends on the roles D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson carve out.
Linebacker. The No. 3 linebacker spot is up for grabs after the Bears let Jack Sanborn walk in free agency. Sanborn played an important role as Chicago's strongside linebacker when the team was in its base defense and filled in whenever Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards weren't able to go. Now that spot is up for grabs with fourth-round rookie Ruben Hyppolite II headlining the competition for LB3 with veterans Noah Sewell and Amen Ogbongbemiga.
Keep an eye on: Does the pass rush still need work?
Adding to the trenches was the theme of Chicago's offseason with the additions of defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo and defensive tackles Grady Jarrett and Shemar Turner. While the Bears' pass rush showed improvement in sacks (from 30 in 2023 to 40 in '24), sack percentage (from a league-worst 4.6% to 7.1%) and quarterback hits (from 92 to 100), how equipped Chicago is to get after opposing QBs will be determined in July and August and may lead the team to look at several intriguing free agent options, like Za'Darius Smith and Matthew Judon.
53-man roster projection
QB (3): Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum
RB (4): D'Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai, Travis Homer
WR (6): DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Olamide Zaccheaus, Devin Duvernay, Tyler Scott
TE (3): Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland, Durham Smythe
OL (10): Braxton Jones, Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson, Darnell Wright, Ozzy Trapilo, Kiran Amegadjie, Luke Newman, Doug Kramer Jr., Ryan Bates
DL (9): Montez Sweat, Gervon Dexter Sr., Grady Jarrett, Dayo Odeyingbo, Andrew Billings, Austin Booker, Shemar Turner, Daniel Hardy, Dominique Robinson
LB (5): Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Noah Sewell, Ruben Hyppolite II, Amen Ogbongbemiga
CB (6): Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, Terell Smith, Josh Blackwell, Zah Frazier
S (4): Kevin Byard III, Jaquan Brisker, Elijah Hicks, Jonathan Owens
Special teams (3): Cairo Santos, Tory Taylor, Scott Daly