Getty
Bears cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson, left, and Jaylon Johnson.
The Chicago Bears are less than a month away from the start of training camp and the position battles that will help define them during the 2025 season.
First-year head coach Ben Johnson and his new coaching staff got their first chance to work with their players — both incoming and returning — during the spring’s offseason workout program, which included 10 days of OTAs and a three-day veteran minicamp.
Once camp begins, though, Johnson and his staff must be harsher in their evaluations as they start the process of figuring out which players on their 90-man offseason roster deserve a place on their initial 53-man roster heading into the 2025 regular season.
In preparation for veterans reporting on July 22, here is a look at three of the biggest roster battles that will take place for the Bears during this summer’s training camp:
1.) Left Tackle
GettyBears left tackle Braxton Jones.
Braxton Jones returns as the Bears’ presumptive starting left tackle for a fourth straight season, but he is coming off a season-ending ankle injury and subsequent surgery that Johnson said will most likely keep him limited to begin camp. Meanwhile, the Bears have second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo looking to push Jones for his starting job after impressing his coaches during spring workouts. The 6-foot-8, 312-pound tackle gave up just two sacks on 710 pass-blocking snaps over his final two seasons at Boston College.
For now, Jones retains the edge with 40 career starts to his name, but don’t discount Trapilo’s ability to bump him to the bench if the former takes longer than expected to return to the field. The Bears will also have to figure out how 2024 third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie fits into the picture — and if they want to keep him at left tackle.
2.) Cornerback
GettyBears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
The Bears have no reservations about their top two cornerbacks. Jaylon Johnson is the No. 1 starter on the boundary, while Kyler Gordon — who signed a three-year extension this offseason — is a rising star in the nickel role. The question now is: Who will line up opposite Johnson as the Bears’ other starting outside cornerback heading into 2025?
Tyrique Stevenson, a 2023 second-round pick, has largely held down the No. 2 spot in his first two seasons, but he had a tumultuous sophomore campaign in which he made several critical mistakes (such as the Hail Mary against Washington) and was briefly benched. Given what he showed in his first two seasons, the Bears have every reason in the world to keep the faith in Stevenson, but he will face competition from fellow third-year Terell Smith and fifth-round rookie Zah Frazier for his starting job ahead of Year 3.
3.) Linebacker
GettyBears linebacker Noah Sewell.
The Bears have no plans to drastically shake up their linebacker corps in 2025 under new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, especially after they signed veteran starter T.J. Edwards to a two-year contract extension in the offseason. That said, they decided not to bring back strong-side linebacker Jack Sanborn as a restricted free agent and must now figure out who will succeed him as their third linebacker in the lineup in 2025.
Fortunately, the Bears have Noah Sewell — a 2023 fifth-rounder — waiting in the wings after spending his first two seasons primarily as a special-teams contributor. They also took a risky gamble on speedy former Maryland standout Ruben Hyppolite II, drafting him in the fourth round to the shock of analysts. Between them and returning veteran Amen Ogbongbemiga, the Bears should have good competition for the third role.
Jordan J. Wilson is a sports reporter who covers the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. He has previously covered all levels of sports — high school, college and pro — for a variety of publications including The Indianapolis Star, The News-Gazette, Springfield State-Journal Register and Peoria Journal Star. More about Jordan J. Wilson
More Heavy on Bears
Loading more stories
