Football is back, and what a good feeling it was to see the Chicago Bears back on the field with a fiery start.
There was a lot of good news coming out of Bears training camp in the first week of work. The offense picked up from where it left off last year. Watching the defense start to play better was possibly the biggest area of improvement, showing encouraging signs heading into the 2026 season.
There were plenty more winners than losers from camp who will have Bears fans fired up for the regular season. Who did well and who might be in trouble early in camp?
Winners and losers from first week of Chicago Bears training camp
Winner: Coby Bryant, S
Everything that has been advertised about Bryant has been on the money. His smart instincts on the field and ability to create plays have helped this defense, including getting an interception off of Caleb Williams. Bryant looks like a guy who is going to make a significant difference on this defense.
Loser: Roschon Johnson, RB
Bears fans already knew his back was up against the wall heading into training camp, but it got even worse. When Kyle Monangai was mysteriously gone from camp for a few days, it was Salmon Ahmed who took his spot. That is not good news for Johnson trying to win the third-string job.
Winner: Salmon Ahmed, RB
Speaking of Ahmed, he might be the biggest surprise winner of the opening week of camp. He took advantage of Monangai's absence and showed off the explosiveness that has been missing from him for a while. Ahmed has fought through injuries and now might be on his way to making the active roster and potentially playing for the first time since 2023.
Loser: Kyler Gordon, CB
Every day that Gordon does not step on the field, he could still be the biggest loser on the list. He is missing valuable time due to his soft-tissue injury that continues to haunt him. Bears head coach Ben Johnson's latest comments once again show his frustration for having to talk to the media about Gordon, so it's not looking great for him so far.
Winner: Austin Booker, DE
The Bears' pass rush seems to be doing pretty well to start camp, but it's Booker over Dayo Odeyingbo in terms of getting attention from reporters. Booker showed great potential last year, and training camp is continuing that trend. It feels like Booker could be working his way into the starting lineup come the start of the regular season.
Read more: One training camp practice made Bears regret ever considering trading Tyson Bagent
Winner: Caleb Williams, QB
It appears that Williams' newfound fame did not get into his head and has been slinging it early on. Sure, there have been some interceptions, but for the most part, he is once again creating highlight passes and showing great leadership by not expecting perfection from his team. This was a good first week for a guy who has NFL MVP on his mind in 2026.
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