Chicago Bears Rookie Report: Dillon Thieneman Struggles in Week 5 Defeat

Virtually nothing went right for the Chicago Bears in their Week 5 loss at Lambeau Field. The Packers controlled the tempo of the game from start to finish and got an ounce of revenge for the Bears ending their season in historic fashion in January with a 31-7 victory.

Unfortunately, the contest also produced the worst collective effort from Chicago's rookie class. Jordan Love dropped quite a few bombs on the Bears' secondary, and a few rookies felt the effects of the nuclear fallout.

The blowout defeat produced bad grades (almost) across the board for Chicago's 2026 NFL Draft class.

Dillon Thieneman: Falling

Dillon Thieneman attempting to knock down a pass — Oct 11, 2026; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (9) makes a catch for a touchdown defended by Chicago Bears safety Dillon Thieneman (31) during the third quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This is a weekly piece. Factoring in Dillon Thieneman's entire rookie season, there's little doubt whether his stock would be soaring higher than Love's deep passes on Sunday. It'd be even higher than Jaylon Johnson's completion percentage when targeted this season. Thieneman has arguably been their best defensive player this season.

However, the 25th overall selection got his first taste of adversity on Sunday. The Bears defense had no answer for Jordan Love, and Christian Watson Mossed the rookie for a 53-yard touchdown in the third quarter. It would've been a tough pass to knock down, but he was the last line of defense after Johnson got left in the dust.

To his credit, he finished second on the team with seven tackles. He also knocked down one pass. It was still a rough overall showing, though.

Logan Jones: N/A

Logan Jones hasn't seen the field on offense, and he probably won't as long as center Garrett Bradbury stays healthy this season. While the veteran looked to be on shaky ground after committing four penalties in Chicago's Week 2 matchup against the Vikings, he has since rebounded nicely.

Bradbury's presence might not be essential to the line considering the other players around him, but the job is still his to lose. Barring an injury, the Bears' second-round selection might have to wait until 2027 to make his mark.

Sam Roush: Falling

Sam Roush running with the ball — Oct 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Jets cornerback Azareye'h Thomas (1) trips up Chicago Bears tight end Sam Roush (87) during the third quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tight end Sam Roush saw a season-low five snaps on offense against Green Bay. The game script could have definitely played a big role, as the Packers got ahead early and extended their lead late. Not having Kyle Monangai also limited what they wanted to do on the ground.

With Roush struggling to make the transition to the pros, his playing time is something to monitor. It could become a theme if they want to tap into 11-personnel more often (which is a definite possibility).

Zavion Thomas: Rising

Zavion Thomas running with the ball — Oct 11, 2026; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Niemann (31) tackles Chicago Bears wide receiver Zavion Thomas (13) on a long kickoff return during game Sunday at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers USAToday Network via IMAGN images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Why might the Bears want to experiment with three-receiver sets more often? Because rookie receiver Zavion Thomas was one of the lone bright spots on offense. Sure, he only accounted for 22 yards (an 11-yard catch and another 11-yard run), but that's still significant with him only seeing 15 plays.

Thomas also finally showed some juice in the return game, taking one of six kick returns for 61 yards. His speed is evident whenever he gets the ball in his hands; he just needs to work on his decisiveness in the third phase. Also, I've said it once, and I'll say it a billion more times: The Bears need to get him involved in the punt return game. Kalif Raymond is (usually) dependable there, but Thomas brings a much higher ceiling.

Malik Muhammad II: Neutral

Malik Muhammad II attempting to make a tackle — Oct 11, 2026; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (85) carries the ball defended by Chicago Bears cornerback Malik Muhammad II (24) during the second half at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Malik Muhammad II was virtually the only member of Chicago's secondary who was spared from Love's deep balls on Sunday. However, he also got beat on a few underneath routes. Still, he was clearly the best of their three starting cover men, and that's worth something. Not much, but something.

The fourth-round selection has been a huge addition to Chicago's secondary and one of the biggest surprises over the first month of the season. He'll probably move to the perimeter full-time (or at least until another injury strikes), with Kyler Gordon looking ready to return to the lineup.

Keyshaun Elliott: N/A

Linebacker Keyshaun Elliott has yet to log a defensive snap. The fact that Noah Sewell stepped in and played 22 snaps against Green Bay in his first game after being activated off Injured Reserve is a bad sign for Elliott.

The Bears clearly don't think he's ready to play a big role. Barring an injury (or, more likely, three of them), Elliott's sole impact will probably come via special teams.

Jordan van den Berg: Falling

Jordan van den Berg has been falling since he was one of their top defensive performers in the preseason. Unfortunately, that downfall continued against Green Bay. He played only 11 snaps and is firmly last in the active defensive tackle rotation.

We still believe in the talent, but the Georgia Tech product has a long way to go before he's ready to carve out a key role on defense. He spends too much time getting pushed around and has already had a few welcome to the NFL moments.

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