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Bear Digest

Jordan van den Berg, Montez Sweat Reprimanded as Bears Leaders Hold Teammates Accountable

Grady Jarrett and Jaylon Johnson both held their teammates accountable during the Chicago Bears' latest practice of training camp.
Chicago Bears defensive end Grady Jarrett with teammates during training camp.
Chicago Bears defensive end Grady Jarrett with teammates during training camp. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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There are many signs that a team has great leadership, and one of them is players holding other players accountable. We saw that on two occasions during Chicago Bears practice on Tuesday.

During the session, defensive lineman Grady Jarrett, who is one of the top leaders on the team, reprimanded fellow lineman Jordan van den Berg and edge rusher Montez Sweat when both were on one knee during a period of practice.

"We also saw Grady Jarrett yell 'Get up!' at Jordan van den Berg and Montez Sweat when both were on a knee during the long drive drill," CHGO Bears' Adam Hoge reported. "This level of player-led accountability is a really good thing, especially when you consider how much the Bears lacked it during the (Matt Eberflus) era."

According to beat writers, the long drive period was an exhausting one, which is why van den Berg and Sweat were on one knee like that. It definitely wasn't those players simply slacking, just to be clear.

In a separate situation, cornerback Jaylon Johnson brought the team together before the red zone period and told the players their performance during practice wasn't good enough, Cam Lewis said, per ESPN's Courtney Cronin.

"I think just like kind of ramping it up a little bit as we were getting going with some of the team stuff and kind of just heightened the competitiveness, atmosphere and I thought that was good by Jaylon," tight end Cole Kmet said, per CHGO Bears.

Kmet went on to say he thought the Bears had their best practice of camp.

Along with his gathering the team together, Johnson also helped Sweat up and back to the sideline while he was down on a knee, Cronin reported.

"Another example of Johnson's leadership on display today was when he helped Montez Sweat back to the defense's sideline after the long-drive drill," Cronin wrote. "Understandably exhausted, Sweat was closest to the offense's sideline so he took a knee there after the drive ended. Johnson walked over, helped him up and jogged with him back to the defense's sideline."

As Hoge points out, accountability was most definitely an issue during the Matt Eberflus era, as the former Bears head coach sorely lacked in that area.

One of the best things you can see on a team is players holding each other accountable. The last thing you want is for veterans like Jarrett and Johnson to see things they don't like from their teammates and to let them slide.

Great teams typically have great leadership, and what Jarrett and Johnson did showed the Bears have that.

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Mike Moraitis
MIKE MORAITIS

Mike Moraitis is a freelance writer who has covered the NFL for major outlets such as Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News. He has previously written for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and FanSided, and got his start in sports media at Bleacher Report.