Bears Rookies With the Most to Gain in Preseason Opener vs Browns

The long NFL offseason is finally over, and the Chicago Bears' first preseason game against the Cleveland Browns will be on Saturday at Soldier Field. Even though it's only a preseason game, the fans are ready to get back out there and cheer on the Bears, and they're especially looking forward to seeing the rookies in their first NFL action.

Head coach Ben Johnson has already said that most of the starters won't play on Saturday, which is similar to his preseason plan a year ago. That will give the new guys plenty of time to make a good first impression. Which rookies stand to gain the most from a solid preseason debut? Let's dive in.

1. Dillon Thieneman

I won't mince words: it's been a rough couple of weeks for Dillon Thieneman. Since the beginning of training camp practice, there's been reports of the rookie getting burned in coverage. But Bears fans don't need to panic. For one, remember that the Bears have some explosive playmakers, most notably Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III, and even veteran defensive backs have trouble in coverage against them.

Two, as good as Thieneman was in college, the leap to the NFL is still a big one. Most rookies struggle in their first training camp, especially those playing a difficult position like safety. That said, Thieneman could really use a good day on Saturday against the Browns. I'm sure it would boost his confidence and make him that much more ready for the regular season opener next month.

2. Logan Jones

Before the start of training camp, the starting center position was expected to be up for grabs between Garrett Bradbury and the rookie Logan Jones. That training camp battle never materialized, however, as Bradbury has taken all of the reps with the starting offense so far. It seems that the coaching staff prefers to start the year off with an experienced player snapping Caleb Williams the ball.

But I don't believe that the Bears spent a premium pick on a player that won't play at all as a rookie. I would guess that Ben Johnson and his staff want Jones to start at some point, but how soon is up to the rookie. A strong performance on Saturday would be a good first step to showing the coaches that they underestimated Jones.

3. Jordan van den Berg

The hype around Jordan van den Berg has been building to a crescendo ever since the Bears selected him in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL draft. Despite a minor setback in June, when the rookie appeared completely overwhelmed by NFL talent, van den Berg has seen a training camp surge that has even caught the attention of veteran Neville Gallimore. He's also been getting work in with the starting defensive unit.

Arguably the biggest weakness remaining for the Bears is at defensive tackle, and that creates a narrow window of opportunity for van den Berg to earn some regular season snaps if he can impress in the preseason, and that starts on Saturday.

4. Zavion Thomas

According to the latest update on Luther Burden's injury, the second-year receiver will miss all three of the Bears' preseason games. That's created a window of opportunity for Zavion Thomas to stand out to the coaches and earn more playing time in the regular season. He's competing for the WR3 spot primarily with veteran Kalif Raymond, and if Thomas wants to see more action than special teams duties, he'll need to prove himself against the Browns.

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