The Chicago Bears hit the grass at Halas Hall in Lake Forest on Wednesday, July 29, for their first on-field practice of 2026 training camp, and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen made sure nobody eased in.
Allen ordered 40 up-downs to open the 90-minute, helmets-only session. Players dropped flat and sprang back to their feet, 40 times. Allen calls the drill a "rite of passage," likening it to paying a toll because joining his defense is a privilege, according to the team's training camp report.
New safety Coby Bryant, who signed with the Bears in March after winning Super Bowl LX with Seattle, shrugged it off.
"I'm actually going to go to DA's office and tell him that was pretty easy," Bryant told reporters. "... No one was on their own out there. We were together."
Allen praised Bryant's style as "tough" and "nasty," saying it epitomizes how he wants the defense to play. Bryant started all three playoff games during Seattle's Super Bowl run, registering 10 tackles and two passes defensed.
Williams declares Loveland the best
Quarterback Caleb Williams didn't hedge after practice. He told reporters Loveland is already the best tight end in the league and that the stats will follow once they put in the work together.
The numbers support the hype. Loveland, the No. 10 overall pick in 2025, led the Bears with 58 receptions, 713 yards, and six touchdowns as a rookie, then piled up 193 receiving yards across two playoff games. Coach Ben Johnson called Loveland "one of the most consistent players I've been around" during the offseason program. Veteran receiver Kalif Raymond noted Loveland takes 100 reps on the JUGS machine before each practice.
Nickel back job up for grabs
With incumbent starter Kyler Gordon beginning camp on the Active/PUP list, the nickel back competition features veterans Jaylon Jones and Cam Lewis plus rookie fourth-round pick Malik Muhammad out of Texas. Allen said he expects Muhammad to pick things up quickly but cautioned that evaluation takes time. Muhammad appeared in 41 games over three seasons at Texas, recording 97 tackles, three interceptions, and 16 pass breakups.
Williams, Johnson raising the bar
Williams set a Bears single-season passing record with 3,942 yards in 2025 and led Chicago to the NFC North title. He shed 10–15 pounds this offseason by overhauling his eating and sleeping habits. Johnson said the Year 3 focus shifts to post-snap anticipation and coverage recognition now that Williams has mastered the pre-snap operation.
What's next
The Bears continue padless workouts through Saturday, August 1. Full pads go on Monday, August 3, when Allen said real evaluations begin. The first open practice for fans is Friday, July 31. Tickets are free via Ticketmaster, with parking at Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills and a shuttle to Halas Hall.
