Four Significant Storylines to Watch for the Bears at Veteran Minicamp

Who has the edge at the position battles along the offensive line? Do the Bears' false-start issues seem to be a thing of the past?

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (71) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The next stage of the offseason is right around the corner, as their three-day veteran minicamp kicks off on Tuesday.

While we will have to wait a long time before training camp gets underway, it'll be nice for the football-starved fanbase to see some highlights and get some updates on how the team is looking. Even if the players will be in shorts, with no live tackling (unless someone wants to channel their inner Martellus Bennett).

Which storylines should Bears fans keep an eye out for at minicamp?

Who has the edge at left tackle and center?

May 31, 2024; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears offensive tackle Braxton Jones (70) runs during organized team activities at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Offensive line continuity is important, and the Bears will probably want to find their starting five as soon as possible. Three of their starting o-linemen, Joe Thuney, Darnell Wright, and Jonah Jackson, are set in stone. However, they will have an open competition for the starting jobs at both left tackle and center.

Braxton Jones is the odds-on favorite to start at left tackle for the season opener, but Jedrick Wills and Theo Benedet won't be going away without a fight. That will be one of the most interesting competitions to keep an eye on. You could say the same about the center competition between Garrett Bradbury and Logan Jones. They both bring a much higher ceiling than what the Bears will be trotting out at left tackle (at least until Ozzy Trapilo is healthy) this season.

Both competitions probably won't conclude until the preseason dress rehearsal game is in the books. However, it'll still be interesting to see who is running with the starters (and how the starting snaps get divvied up).

What is the injury status of some of their key defensive players?

Jan 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards (53) waves to the crowd as he is carted off the field with an apparent injury during the first half of an NFC Wild Card Round game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

T.J. Edwards and Dayo Odeyingbo were both spotted working out with the team before practice at OTAs last week. However, neither player participated in the on-field workouts, as they are both recovering from serious injuries.

Edwards suffered a broken fibula in the team's wild card round win over Green Bay. Meanwhile, Odeyingbo suffered the second torn Achilles of his career (so they will probably want to take it slow with him) in their Week 8 loss against Baltimore. It'll be interesting to see how active either player will be in minicamp.

Likewise, many will be keeping tabs on Terell Smith's status. The cover man suffered a torn patellar tendon last preseason, and he could be a dark horse in the cornerback competition if he performs well over the next few months. The first step of that journey could come on Tuesday.

Is Dillon Thieneman practicing with the starters yet?

May 8, 2026; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) runs during Rookie Minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Dillon Thieneman is all but guaranteed the starting safety job opposite Coby Bryant. He's as NFL-ready as they come, and they didn't draft him in the first-round to have a red-shirt rookie season.

With that said, the Bears appear to be taking it slow with their rookie safety (as all smart coaching staffs do). He was practicing with the backups at OTAs. This marks the second year in a row they've taken that approach, as they took things slow with last year's rookie class as well. It's difficult to find fault with the process, as virtually all of their offensive rookies played a big role down the stretch last year.

Still, this doesn't feel like a situation where they need to beat around the bush. The Bears don't have an established veteran with starting experience at safety besides Bryant. Special teams ace Elijah Hicks got the majority of the first-team reps last week, and Thieneman hasn't exactly gotten an opportunity to supplant him. However, they should see what the rook can do against the starters early and often to give him as much experience as possible ahead of the season.

Does the offense look more comfortable in year two under Ben Johnson?

Sep 21, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson talks with quarterback Caleb Williams (18) against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

It's difficult to make an accurate assessment about a roster in minicamp. The pads won't come on until training camp starts next month, and the purpose of minicamp is largely to see players practice with their new teammates for the first time and to see who kept up with their conditioning over the first half of the offseason.

With that said, the offense is still going up against the defense. You can gauge whether either side looks more comfortable at this stage.

The news surrounding Chicago's offense (unsurprisingly) was that they had their fair share of ups and downs in minicamp last year. That was expected since they were installing Ben Johnson's offense. They should be much more comfortable in year two. The sky won't be falling if they're still in the growing pains stage (because, ya know, it's June), but that could also be a reason to slightly temper the sky-high expectations for the offense going into 2026.