Chicago Bears Minicamp: Johnson, Williams, Bryant, Sweat, Jones, and Loveland Speak at Halas Hall
The Chicago Bears wrapped up their mandatory minicamp at Halas Hall this week, and the themes were consistent with what this program has been building since Ben Johnson arrived. Fundamentals first, continuity over installation, and a championship standard that does not bend for anyone.
Head coach Ben Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams, defensive back Coby Bryant, defensive lineman Montez Sweat, offensive lineman Braxton Jones, and tight end Colston Loveland all addressed the media across the three-day session. The picture they painted was of a team that has shed the growing pains of year one and is now focused on playing faster, playing cleaner, and playing for something bigger than last season’s Divisional Round run.
Ben Johnson: “His Exotic Self Can Come to Life”
Johnson opened both sessions with characteristic brevity and then made it clear how much thought goes into every layer of what the Bears do. Not really a surprise given that Johnson was a computer major at the University of North Carolina.
On whether opposing defenses have enough tape to slow down Caleb Williams, Johnson was unfazed. “I feel like we’re so multiple in what we do and what we’ve put on tape. It’s really not a huge concern of mine. What he can do out of structure is really unique and I think it makes us even more difficult to defend.”
His approach to Williams’ development is methodical. Johnson described a daily grading system built around ball placement, A through F, with tighter grades applied to short throws than deep balls. “He’s not what I would call a rep guy. I think you can tell him something one time and when he sees it on tape, he carries it on over to whether it’s practice or the game.”
When asked how Williams stays ahead as defenses study him, Johnson’s said, “He just needs to worry about executing the play at hand. We’re going to continue to hone in on our core plays, our bread and butter plays. They might be a little bit different this year than what they’ve been in the past, and then those plays aren’t working, that’s when his exotic self can come to life.”
Johnson closed out the week with a clear-eyed assessment of where the program stands.
“They know what’s at stake. We had a solid season the year before and they’re looking to build upon that. A lot of the momentum that we had built over the course of the year, we’d like to sustain that.” He noted that the veterans have taken ownership of the standard in a way that was not yet present a year ago. “I’ve been to a couple meetings, and the vets are upholding that. If something’s not quite right, I hear them speaking up and making sure that everyone’s falling in line.”
On the defensive side, Johnson said his appreciation for Montez Sweat grew after reviewing the self-scout. “I would argue it was the best year of his career. Whether that showed up statistically or not, that’s debatable, but his ability to play the run and play the pass. I thought he did a really nice job.”
Johnson also addressed how training camp competitions will be handled. “This spring was about learning and about communication. Camp’s really where we’re earning a spot on the 53 and we’ll carve out our roles.” He added that the process will take as long as it needs to. “You like to have a little clarity earlier on so that you can go into week one feeling pretty settled on every spot, but we’ll do whatever it takes.”
Caleb Williams: “There’s So Much Left to Unlock”
Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams arrived at Thursday’s session loose and locked in at the same time, a combination that has come to define his presence at Halas Hall this spring.
He opened with a light moment. Asked about Green Bay linebacker Micah Parsons’ recent comments, Williams smiled it off. “Just funny. He said, he’s fire and I’m ice. So, see which one holds over.”
The levity did not last long. When the conversation turned to football, Williams was precise and purposeful about where the offense has grown. “I think just starting off where we ended last year. Play calls, checks, man checks, alerts, kills, just seeing formations, or defensive structure and things like that. Making checks a little bit more, stuff at the line. I think just starting off where we ended last year, I think that was a big jump for us and a big step.”
“Ball placement, being able to put the ball in the best position for the wide receivers. It first starts with a completion, then from there you’ve got to grow. Then it grows to how can I place the ball better for these guys in these situations.” Pre-snap procedure is the other emphasis. “Being able to see defenses, pre-snap and have an idea of what they’ll be in or if I need to make an adjustment. It’s always going to be those couple things for me.”
The difference between year one and year two came through in a vivid image Williams shared when asked about the advantage of familiarity. “I felt like I was drowning, trying to breathe or stay alive and wait for a boat to come around last year. Now this year, it’s being able to start where we finished last year, play calls, words and verbiage and speak the same language. Now it’s being able to grow more from an earlier stage.”
Williams also spoke about the moment that crystallized his responsibility as the face of the franchise. During a practice when he was not at his best, veteran receiver Kalif Raymond pulled him aside. “Kalif came up to me and said, ‘You know everybody’s looking at you.’ That really resonated for me. Just every day having that type of mindset, be as stoic as possible, be as strong as possible for the guys. Because they’re looking at me.”
On Luther Burden III and the receiving corps, Williams was unambiguous. “I need Luther to be Luther. He believes in himself 100%, I believe in him 100%, Coach does. I need them to go out there and be special because that’s what they are. I know they’re special, so, let’s light the scoreboard up.”
He ended with the only goal that has ever mattered to him. “No, that’s always my goal. I don’t ever go into a season, no matter the team or what’s happened before to me or anything like that, every year for me is championship. Nothing else needs to be said from there.”
Coby Bryant: “I’m a Bear All the Way”
If there is one newcomer who has made an immediate impression at Halas Hall, it is Coby Bryant. The Super Bowl champion arrived from Seattle with a ring, a reputation, and a competitive edge that Johnson has already described as that of a trained killer. Bryant wasted no time confirming the label.
Asked about Johnson’s intensity, Bryant did not hesitate. “I love it. He’s filled with fire. He’s a true competitor every day. He competes, he likes us talking junk to him and vice versa. I match his energy every day.”
Bryant snagged an interception off Williams in practice during the week and handled the moment the way you would expect from a player who has been to the Super Bowl.
“That’s just me making a play. I had to get him before the offseason started. I know he didn’t like that. But he’s a true competitor who comes out every day willing to work.”
On Williams, Bryant was emphatic. “Like I said from day one, he’s elite. That’s why he’s the cover of Madden. He shows me something different every day.”
Bryant has also taken rookie safety Dillon Thieneman under his wing. “Me being a year five guy, he’s a rookie, so he wants to go full speed. I’m 27, he’s 21.” He added that Thieneman’s play recognition is something you cannot teach. “Once he sees something he recognizes, he makes a play right away. That’s a special trait.”
When asked whether he carries himself differently as a Super Bowl champion, Bryant kept it simple. “Honestly, no. I’m just the same as them. I’m here now. I’m a Bear all the way.”
Montez Sweat: Less Stuff, More Football
Montez Sweat has heard the outside noise about the Bears’ defensive line. He is not particularly interested in responding to it. “Yeah, we hear the chatter. It is what it is. Everybody has an opinion. It’s our job to go out there and do what we gotta do.”
What Sweat has noticed this spring is a deliberate shift in how defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is running the offseason program. Less installation, more fundamentals.
“He’s kind of toned the output down a little bit. It’s less plays, more fundamentals, more worrying about us and how we can get better, whether that’s get-off, hand placement, striking a block. Not necessarily worrying about the scheme, just working on being the guy in front of us.”
The return of Dayo Odeyingbo, who missed significant time last season with an injury, has been an added boost. “It’s encouraging to have a guy like that out there. He’s another piece on our defensive line, so it’s great seeing him back.”
Braxton Jones: Building Trust, One Rep at a Time
Braxton Jones has spent the last year working his way back from injury, rebuilding his body and, perhaps more importantly, rebuilding his confidence in it.
“I think a big piece of it is simply feeling right from the lower half and from the injuries. Even last year I was still in a good place, but I just didn’t trust it. I didn’t trust the positions I was putting myself in. And when you don’t trust that, you’re never going to put a good outcome out there.”
Jones credited an offseason spent working with former NFL tackle Terron Armstead as the turning point. “Just getting the base right again, repetition, doing it over and over again. His knowledge and getting that confidence after coming back from injury. He was great with that.”
This is the first full offseason Jones has had in years. “Night and day. This was the first one since, I think my second or rookie year where I truly got that full offseason. It means everything to me.”
Colston Loveland: Full Tilt
Tight end Colston Loveland missed last year’s offseason program and spent much of his rookie season catching up. That is no longer the case, and Johnson made clear the difference has been significant.
“This offseason it’s been full tilt. He’s one of the most consistent players I’ve been around. And that’s saying a lot for a young guy. We’ve been able to take the route tree to the next level.”
Loveland himself described a year one experience that was equal parts overwhelming and clarifying. Learning the playbook on the fly while also trying to compete at the NFL level left little room to settle in. Now, with a full spring behind him and a genuine comfort level in the offense, he is operating with a different kind of confidence.
Johnson’s enthusiasm for what Loveland can become in year two was evident. With Cole Kmet alongside him and a quarterback in Williams who has already shown the ability to find both tight ends in critical moments, the two-tight end system that emerged late last season figures to be a centerpiece of the 2026 offense.
Dillon Thieneman: Ready to Compete
Rookie safety Dillon Thieneman arrived at Halas Hall as a draft pick. He is leaving minicamp as someone this defense is already counting on.
Thieneman has spent the spring absorbing everything Bryant and veteran Elijah Hicks have offered, asking questions, studying tendencies, and doing the one thing that cannot be coached. “The more reps you get, the faster you can play and the less you have to think. With certain defenses, there are strengths that the defense has and then there are weaknesses that the offense will try to target. If you understand those weaknesses, that’s what you can really look out for.”
On the subject of slowing down in individual drills, the rookie was characteristically direct. “I don’t know if I’ll slow down, but we’ll see.”
Johnson and Bryant have both made clear they are not asking him to. The talent is evident. The only work left is letting it settle.
The Foundation Is Set
Johnson’s minicamp goals were never about putting on a show. They were about establishing habits, sharpening fundamentals, and making sure that when training camp opens in Bourbonnais, this team is not starting from scratch.
“We’ve made significant strides,” he said. “Pursuit on defense, finish on offense, all the fundamentals. Block after catch, maximizing run after catch, looking to emphasize takeaways and ball security on offense. It’s been a good back and forth.”
The Bears break now until training camp. When they return, the competition gets real. But the message from Halas Hall this week was clear. The standard in that building does not change, and the work that gets done in the summer is exactly the reason why.
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