The Chicago Bears returned to the practice field for their 10th practice during training camp on Sunday, which featured plenty of highlights.
The Bears had a change of scenery holding practice at Soldier Field for their annual Family Fest, which was another padded workout. Quarterback Justin Fields continued to find his favorite targets in DJ Moore and Chase Claypool while the defense dealt with injuries to half of their starters.
Following Sunday’s practice, here’s a look at what we learned from the 10th day of Bears training camp.
1
Bears offense had one of its sharpest days
The Bears offense has had its share of ups and downs since the pads came on in camp, but they had “one of their sharpest days to date” during Sunday’s Family Fest practice, according to NBC Sports Chicago’s Josh Schrock.
The offense excelled during the red zone period, which included quarterback Justin Fields connecting with tight end Cole Kmet and wide receiver Chase Claypool for touchdowns.
Bears' first-team offense has a good day in the red zone.
— Fields hits Cole Kmet for a 12-yard touchdown and then hit Chase Claypool for an 8-yard TD on the next play. Fields felt pressure, moved right, and threw a strike to Claypool.
— Josh Schrock (@Schrock_And_Awe) August 6, 2023
“Today it was good,” head coach Matt Eberflus said. “There’s a lot of good operation there. I love the connections that we made with DJ and Clay. There were some really good connections there. And I like the way some of the runners were running. When we’re running behind the one line it’s a little bit different. [than] when you’re running with twos and threes. We have to have a good blend of that because I think we’ve been doing a good job of running the football during camp so far. And really the screen game has really picked up. We’re really doing a good job with all types of screens. And that’s starting to pay off for us.”
2
Concern isn’t long-term injury, it’s continuity
Injuries are starting to mount for the Bears during training camp, as the list continues to grow. For Sunday’s practice, Chicago was down half of their defensive starters, including linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, safety Jaquan Brisker, cornerback Kyler Gordon, defensive end DeMarcus Walker and linebacker Jack Sanborn.
It didn’t help matters that safety Eddie Jackson took himself off the field after he appeared to tweak something after one play. He spent the rest of practice watching from the sideline.
Head coach Matt Eberflus said none of the current injuries are considered to be long-term, as in those players should be ready for Week 1. But Eberflus did note the concern is continuity, as he wants the starters learn to play alongside each other.
3
DJ Moore and Chase Claypool continue to shine
The Bears have their most talented receiver corp in years, and DJ Moore and Chase Claypool continue to be the talk of training camp. While Moore has been impressing on a daily basis, Claypool has been keeping pace with WR1. You’d be remiss not to find Moore or Claypool mentioned among daily camp highlights.
Their connection with Fields continues to shine, and it’s clear QB1 will have his pick of weapons in the passing game. During Sunday’s practice, Fields connected with Moore and Claypool on some nice completions, including a couple of touchdowns.
Get ready for a lot Moore of this 😏 pic.twitter.com/AqRxAR8Cro
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 6, 2023
10/10 pic.twitter.com/YvOQW1v6LD
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 6, 2023
Remember when Darnell Mooney was considered the top wideout at this time last season? Things have certainly changed. While Mooney remains one of Fields’ top weapons, with Moore and Claypool’s emergence this summer, he feels like the third best at this point. And there’s plenty of other talent on this offensive roster.
4
Andrew Billings has been a quiet standout
NBC Sports Chicago’s Josh Schrock noted defensive tackle Andrew Billings has been “one of the standouts” of training camp, and that continued during Sunday’s Family Fest practice, where he continues to be a menace along the interior.
The Bears are pleased with how he reshaped his body in the offseason. That work has paid off, as Billings has been a load for Teven Jenkins, Whitehair, and Alex Leatherwood to handle.
During Sunday’s workout, the Bears first-team defensive line made things difficult on the second-team offensive line during the move the ball period, according to NBC Sports Chicago’s Alex Shapiro. Billings was in the backfield a ton.
“He demands a double team and that singles me up,” said defensive tackle Justin Jones.
5
Gervon Dexter needs to be more consistent with his get-off
Bears rookie defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens had another strong day, where they continue to get pressure along the interior against Lucas Patrick, Ja’Tyre Carter, and Cody Whitehair.
Focusing specifically on Dexter, his get-off has been a focal point for him coming out of college. While Eberflus said Dexter’s get-off is improving, he did note it needs to be more consistent.
“It’s improving everyday,” Eberflus said. “But, if he wants to be elite, he’s gonna have to be more consistent. He’s also gonna have to play with better pad level. He’s strong enough to win sometimes when he’s high, but he needs to be lower.”
6
Josh Blackwell shined at nickel in place of Kyler Gordon
The Bears have some decisions to make at cornerback, specifically who makes the roster after Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon and rookies Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith. That leaves likely two roster spots up for grabs, and Josh Blackwell has an opportunity to lock one down.
Blackwell’s value as the reserve nickel behind Gordon shouldn’t be overlooked, and he showed he can step in when called upon and contribute. During Sunday’s practice, Blackwell worked with the first-team defense in place of Gordon, who was held out of practice, and recorded an interception of P.J. Walker.
Bears first-team defense ended the second-team offense's attempt quickly when Josh Blackwell — starting at nickel in place of Kyler Gordon — picked off P.J. Walker.
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) August 6, 2023
7
Attendance and injury updates
We’re 10 practices into training camp, and the Bears have a growing list of injuries to some key contributors. Safety Jaquan Brisker, guard Nate Davis, defensive end DeMarcus Walker and linebackers Tremaine Edmunds, Jack Sanborn and Dylan Cole were held out of Sunday’s workout. Tight end Marcedes Lewis was present, but he didn’t participate.
Cornerback Kyler Gordon was the newest addition to the growing injury list, as he was held out Sunday, leaving the team without half of its projected starters.
Jaquan Brisker, DeMarcus Walker, Tremaine Edmunds, Nate Davis, Marcedes Lewis, Jack Sanborn, and Dylan Cole are present but not participating today.
Yannick Ngakoue is still away from the team. He's expected to be practicing Tuesday.
— Josh Schrock (@Schrock_And_Awe) August 6, 2023
To make matters worse, there were a couple of apparent injuries during Sunday’s practice. Offensive lineman Lucas Patrick, filling in for an injured Nate Davis, was examined in the blue tent and walked to the locker room.
Elsewhere, it appeared safety Eddie Jackson took himself off the field after he tweaked something. Jackson was spotted on the sideline but without a helmet. It’s something to monitor moving forward, especially as Jaquan Brisker is already sidelined.
Bears G/C Lucas Patrick was in the blue tent and is now walking to the locker room. Ja'Tyre Carter in at right guard with the starters.
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) August 6, 2023
Earlier in team drills, it looked like Eddie Jackson took himself off the field after tweaking something. He's not in currently with the Bears' starters — A.J. Thomas is next to Elijah Hicks at safety. But Jackson is on the sideline, no helmet.
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) August 6, 2023
8
Bring your daughter to press conference day
The Bears held their annual Family Fest Sunday at Soldier Field, so it was only fitting for receiver DJ Moore and defensive tackle Justin Jones to bring their daughters to their post-practice press conference.
Bring your daughter to the press conference day for Justin Jones and DJ Moore. Super cute. pic.twitter.com/kYX4TGzaMr
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) August 6, 2023
The Bears have off Monday before returning to Halas Hall Tuesday, where defensive end Yannick Ngakoue is expected to practice for the first time.
