The Chicago Bears? 20th practice of training camp was punctuated by a pair of fights. No one emerged any worse for the wear, so chalk it up as another happening in a camp that has seen the Bears navigate murky injury waters to come out mostly healthy on the other side.
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus spoke with the media and announced that most of the starters would not play in the preseason finale on Thursday versus the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tyrique Stevenson, Montez Sweat, and Kiran Amegadjie also spoke before practice.
Bears Training Camp Notes: Tyrique Stevenson Claims His Spot
Tyrique Stevenson?s New Mindset
Second-year cornerback Tyrique Stevenson came on strong down the stretch of his rookie season and appears poised to take the next step in his development, whatever that may be, in 2024.
He recorded all four of his interceptions in a six-game span from Week 11 to Week 16. The former second-round pick also forced a pair of fumbles.
Stevenson was asked about the difference in his mindset from this same point in 2023.
?Definitely feel like I could come out there and just show I’m one of the top corners in the league,? Stevenson told Clocker Sports on Tuesday. So I just would say my dedication to my small details like getting in and out of breaks and just figuring out where the ball at, figuring out how they going to throw it is just what I’ve been focusing on this camp.
?Last camp, it was show the guys on the team that you here to play hard, just show the coaching staff that you here. And now it’s like, ?Let’s ball let’s run it.?
Stevenson returned to practice in time for the Bengals game and said he is ready for Week 1.
Stevenson also discussed the frustrating aspects of facing 2024 trade acquisition Keenan Allen in training camp. He noted it was similar with DJ Moore in 2023. But Stevenson, who learned ?composure? from Jaylon Johnson, has also learned a valuable lesson about himself in camp.
?I’m him, pretty much,? Stevenson told reporters. ?I could cover pretty much any receiver in the league. All I got to do is just stay working hard, stay consistent, and just lock in on myself.?
Stevenson allowed 60.3% completion in his coverage as a rookie.
That is the fourth-best mark among the five rookies to see at least 100 targets since Stathead began tracking data in 2018. More importantly, Stevenson allowed 46.9% completion in his coverage over his final seven games of the season, per Pro Football Reference.
Matt Eberflus Puts Caleb Williams, ‘Most’ Starters on Ice
?In terms of the game on Thursday, the majority of the starters will not play in that game. We feel really good about our process, the plan that we’ve had in terms of the range of plays for certain players,? Eberflus said on Tuesday. ?In terms of competitive reps, we feel really good about that with our joint practices and going 1s-on-1s the entire time. So we feel really good where we are there.?
With that, rookie No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams? preseason comes to a close. Williams? 23 dropbacks were the most among the Bears? QBs, per Pro Football Focus. He finished second behind backup Tyson Bagent in total snaps played.
Williams completed 50% of his passes for 170 yards, zero touchdowns, and zero interceptions with another 20 yards and one touchdown on two carries.
Those are hardly world-beating numbers, especially considering the hype after those showings.
Much like practice reps, though, it is often the process over the results when asked about what Williams has shown to convince his coaches and teammates that he is indeed the guy at quarterback.
Be it his preternatural feel in the pocket, accuracy on the move, or his even-keeled nature, Williams has quickly made believers of those inside Halas Hall.
Fans and outside media alike will be more difficult to convince and will need to see it first.
Williams has suffered from some drops and unfortunate foot placement to keep him from having a better stat line this preseason. But he has put his arm talent and poise on display in his limited time on the field.
Kiran Amegadjie Happy to Be Back in Action at Bears Training Camp
The Bears selected Amegadjie, a native of nearby Hinsdale, Illinois, in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. That is a premium selection for a team that had a total of five picks in the entire draft. Amegadjie had been sidelined with a quad injury suffered in 2023 while he was still at Yale.
He was candid when asked about the difficulty of being unable to play or practice for such a long time.
?It was tough, obviously,? Amegadjie said on Tuesday. ?I’ve been playing football for a long time, so it’s tough whenever the game is taken away from you. But you know I’m really excited to be back, really excited to get to work.?
Amegadjie projects as a fit at either guard or tackle. He said he is open to playing wherever the coaches want him. More importantly, his versatility bolsters the depth up front for the Bears. They dealt with multiple injuries along the offensive line in 2023 and have had similar hiccups during training camp.
Specifically, starting right guard Nate Davis and 2024 trade acquisition Ryan Bates have missed time.
The Bears signed veteran Matt Pryor, who can also play guard and tackle. With Bates? center-guard versatility, the Bears boast depth on the line behind Davis, Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, Coleman Shelton, and right tackle Darnell Wright.
Montez Sweat on Focus During Break
Sweat is in his first full season with the Bears. Chicago acquired him at the 2023 trade deadline from the Washington Commanders.
Sweat touted the benefits of having a training camp to get more immersed in the Bears? defensive scheme. He said he was ?thrown into the pot? in 2023. There were questions about finding a bookend pass rusher, which Sweat joked was above his pay grade.
But he was also asked about staying locked in until the regular season starts.
?We practicing, so you stay sharp in practice, you stay sharp on your film study, and just look at what’s coming next,? Sweat said, later adding the Bears, ?hold each other accountable and we feed off of that.?
Sweat was highly complimentary of rookie Austin Booker. The rookie has similar length and the duo could wreak havoc together. But that remains a key unknown heading into the regular season.
Injury Roundup
Eberflus said that Kevin Byard is dealing with a ?soft tissue? injury. Due to league rules on reporting injuries, the Bears do not have to be specific about what injuries players are dealing with. Byard?s situation is no different. The head coach did say that the ironman safety?s outlook is ?good.?
Even more encouraging, safety Jaquan Brisker returned to the practice field for the first time since July 31.
The Bears still have a host of reserve players dealing with various issues. But it appears that will follow a similar trend from the 2023 season opener and have their starters ready to go to fave the Tennessee Titans in Week 1.