The Good, Better, and Best From Week 1 of Bears 2026 Training Camp

As the Chicago Bears continued winning games in surprising fashion last season, head coach Ben Johnson's good, better, best victory chant took the NFL world by storm. It fired up the team, the fans, and just about anyone who's not a fan of a rival NFC North team. We don't know if the chant will be back in 2026, but for now, at least, I'm going to borrow the phrase to review the Bears' first week of training camp ahead of the 2026 season.

There's been plenty of buzz around the Bears this offseason, enough that Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen commented on Caleb Williams becoming a media darling. But there's a good reason for excitement: the Bears shocked the NFL world last year, and everyone wants to know if that was a flash in the pan or if there's real steak to this sizzle. With that in mind, here are three things from the Bears' first week of training camp that are good, better, and best.

Good: The left tackle position battle appears to be a real one

Chicago Bears OT Braxton Jones after the game against the Dallas Cowboys. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Losing Ozzy Trapilo for most of the 2026 season after he suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in January is a big loss, but credit to general manager Ryan Poles for mitigating that loss as best as he could. By re-signing Braxton Jones to a one-year contract and bringing in a former first-round pick in Jedrick Wills, the Bears have created a real training camp competition for the starting left tackle spot, and whoever wins will have earned it.

While Jones is the favorite to emerge as the starter for Week 1, the Bears are keeping it a true competition by splitting reps fairly evenly. There was even a surprising twist in the Bears' third practice last week when Kiran Amegadjie, the forgotten third-round pick from 2024, got some work in with the starters. He's a long shot to win this battle, but it's good to see the Bears taking this position seriously.

Better: Jaylon Johnson is back

Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson was sorely missed last year. He missed ten games last year with a lingering groin injury, and even when he was on the field, he clearly wasn't even close to being 100%. His absence was a major reason why opposing quarterbacks could pick apart Chicago's defense with impunity in 2025.

But Johnson is back for training camp after missing all of it last year, and he's already in midseason form. On Friday, he jumped a route during the red zone portion of practice and picked off Caleb Williams. Johnson is arguably the most important player on this defense, and if he can stay healthy all year and get back to the Pro Bowl, or even earn his second All-Pro honor, then this Bears defense should prove to be significantly better.

Best: Caleb Williams hit over 70% of his passes

Nothing else the Bears have done or could do will matter if Caleb Williams doesn't live up to his pre-draft expectations. He was good in 2025, but the Bears didn't select him with the first-overall pick to be good. They need him to be an elite quarterback. And if the first week of his 2026 training camp is any indication, he's on the road to becoming exactly that.

In Chicago's first practice, Caleb Williams had his best practice yet as a Bear, completing well over 70% of his passes. Even better, he didn't slow down from there. Aside from a rough showing in red zone work on Friday, Williams has been dicing up the defense, showing real chemistry with his receivers, and completing some gorgeous passes to Colston Loveland.

As Williams goes, so go the Bears. If they're going to take that next step towards Super Bowl contention, they will have to be led by an even better version of Williams than what we saw last year. And if we get Williams at his very best, then Chicago's 40-year Super Bowl draught won't last much longer.

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