If Chicago Bears fans thought training camp was intense last year, they are in for a rude awakening in 2026.
Everything has been turned up a notch as the Bears feel more pressure than ever to not only make the playoffs, but make a run for the Super Bowl. That means position battles at training camp will only be more intense with everyone wanting to be a part of the ride.
Entering training camp, there are six position battles Bears fans will have to monitor that could get competitive to a whole new level. Here are the six to watch come late July and throughout August.
6 roster battles going into Chicago Bears training camp
Backup DT - Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street, James Lynch, Jordan van den Berg
The Bears added four defensive tackles in free agency and the draft to give them depth behind Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett. Gallimore got a two-year contract, so he feels more like a lock, but the other three are competing for potentially one or two spots. A talented defensive tackle is going to be left disappointed at the end of August.
RB3 - Roschon Johnson, Brittain Brown, Salvon Ahmed, Coleman Bennett
Johnson is feeling more pressure than ever after being a non-factor in 2025. Even Brown had a better season than Johnson, as Brown at least scored a touchdown in the regular season. Ahmed and undrafted rookie Bennett are going to make their own push, making the RB3 job completely up for grabs.
CB2 - Tyrique Stevenson and Malik Muhammad
Stevenson was sitting on the bench by the end of the season after being a starter in the first half of the year. Muhammad comes in as a fourth-round draft pick with something to prove. This position battle feels like it should be Stevenson's to own, but this is going to be more intense than some think.
WR3 - Kalif Raymond, Jahdae Walker, Zavion Thomas
Raymond and Thomas are both threats in the passing game and the return game. Walker worked his way to being an impact player last year as an undrafted free agent, catching two touchdowns in the last three weeks of the regular season. Raymond will have the advantage, but Thomas had a stellar OTAs that should make the WR3 battle more interesting.
LT - Braxton Jones, Theo Benedet, Jedrick Wills Jr.
Jones has the lead on the job and looks poised to be the starter in Week 1. The same thing happened last season, and he got benched for Benedet before the Bears settled on Ozzy Trapilo as the starter. Wills should make a push for the job, but it is definitely Jones' to lose in camp.
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C - Garrett Bradbury and Logan Jones
Bradbury should have the job in training camp, but Jones is seen as the future of the center position after Drew Dalman's stunning retirement announcement. The Bears traded for Bradbury as a short-term solution with Jones potentially stepping in next year. If Chicago were to get a good offer for Bradbury in a trade, though, it might move the timeline up for Jones, but for now, it's been a training camp battle between the two.
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