The Chicago Bears are one week plus two practices into training camp, and it is already clear that they will wait for no one, including their first two draft picks this year, Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III.
Both players missed most, if not all, of the on-field work during the offseason program. Moreover, they only recently returned to team drills, with Burden making his debut in those settings on Tuesday.
And, true to form, both players received a noteworthy amount of targets.
Rookies Playing Catch-Up Leads Notes From 6th Bears Training Camp Practice
Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III Full-Go For Bears
Loveland had shoulder surgery to repair an AC joint in January. It stemmed from an injury he suffered during his final season at Michigan. The No. 10 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, Loveland had only donned the red non-contact practice jersey on the field during the spring.
He said his shoulder “feels great,” and he ran routes and caught passes to stay in shape.
However, he was limited to individual work due to contact restrictions as he recovered. He has been in the mix often in camp, though, particularly on Tuesday.
Loveland and veteran tight end Cole Kmet shared the field on several plays, providing glimpses of what many expect to be a staple of the Bears’ offense under new head coach Ben Johnson. It is encouraging that starting quarterback Caleb Williams has shown confidence in Loveland already.
Burden is in a similar spot.
Luther Burden III Catches Passes in 1st Team Periods
Burden picked up a hamstring issue in rookie minicamp and remained out of sight for the rest of the Bears’ offseason program.
Johnson had noted that Burden missed “a lot” during his absence, but teammate Rome Odunze, who agreed, also expressed confidence that Burden would hit the ground running once he returned.
Burden, like Loveland, got work early and often during team drills.
However, he was also working behind veterans Olamide Zaccheaus, who has developed an early rapport with Williams, and Devin Duvernay, with Johnson calling him “behind.”
Duvernay is an All-Pro return specialist, which is why he was brought in, though he can offer a different element of speed to the offense when given a chance. Still, how long it takes for Burden to usurp Duvernay is key before the rookie can overtake Zaccheaus.
Johnson had to correct an alignment issue with Burden during Tuesday’s practice.
It has seemingly become a rite of passage for this group, who have seen Johnson play a corrective role on several occasions since his arrival. It is all part of the installation process.
The Bears have still not gotten rookie cornerback Zah Frazier into training camp. His fellow 2025 draft pick, Shemar Turner, is expected to miss roughly a month. He suffered an ankle injury in the first week of camp.
Bears Getting Caleb Williams Into Rhythm
From a wide-scoped lens, Williams is off to a rough start under Johnson, whose primary function is to get the No. 1 overall pick playing up to his draft position. However, Johnson has lauded Williams’ approach as they overload him to see what he can handle.
That much was evident over the first week of practice.
In two days with pads, though, Johnson has seemingly called things in a way that would be more conducive to Williams getting in a rhythm.
Moreover, Johnson cited a desire for a “cleaner pocket” from his retooled offensive line, which admittedly needs reps to jell. It is a small sample size, and there are still plenty of kinks in the operation that must be worked out before the regular season starts.
Still, Williams and Johnson may be finding their comfort zone together.