The Chicago Bears' OTAs have started, and the franchise has a lot for them to deal with going into it.
This OTA is packed with headlines as the team looks to build off the 11-6 season they had in 2025 and defend their NFC North division crown. While there are some fresh faces on the roster, some new players might be coming in and looking to make their imprint on the team.
Chicago has a ton of position battles every fan will be monitoring during OTAs and leading up to training camp. Which ones are the biggest to follow?
Top positions battles going into Chicago Bears' OTAs in 2026
WR3 - Kalif Raymond, Jahdae Walker, Zavion Thomas
DJ Moore's trade to the Buffalo Bills has opened the door for a massive battle at WR3 with Luther Burden moving up into the WR2 role. Raymond feels like the favorite since he and Bears head coach Ben Johnson have a long history, but Walker caught two touchdowns in the last three regular season games as an undrafted rookie last year, so he might be able to get the job. Bears general manager Ryan Poles has already stated that Thomas will be more of a special teams player, but he was seen on the field at rookie minicamp as a wide receiver and running back, so he could use his 4.28 speed to get on the field.
Left Tackle - Braxton Jones, Theo Benedet, Jedrick Wills Jr.
This is the one position battle every Bears fan has been talking about all offseason as Ozzy Trapilo recovers from his injury. Jones is going in as the favorite, while Benedet and Wills will also be in the conversation. Wills feels like a long shot, and Benedet's struggles with pass protection could hold him back. While no starter will be announced until Week 1, the buzz around Jones is too hard to ignore, so he should win the job.
EDGE - Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo
Booker missed the first half of the season due to injury, while Odeyingbo missed the second half of 2025 with his own injury. It was Booker who had better success with 4.5 sacks to Odeyingbo's one. After passing on signing, trading for, or drafting an edge rusher in the offseason, the Bears are putting their faith in Booker and Odeyingbo, hoping they will emerge in 2026.
Center - Garrett Bradbury and Logan Jones
Drew Dalman threw a wrench in the Bears' future plans on the offensive line as they had to get Bradbury via trade and select Jones in the second round. While it is clear Jones is the future at center, Bradbury is the one-year rental to help with Jones' development and transition to the NFL. Bradbury isn't guaranteed the job, though, as Jones has all the capabilities to be a Day 1 starter if he needs to be.
Long Snapper - Luke Elkin and Beau Gardner
This position won't make headlines, but it is an interesting one between Elkin and Gardner after Scott Daly wasn't retained. Elkin was in training camp with the Bears last year, and Gardner is coming off winning the Patrick Mannelly Award last season as the nation's best long snapper in college. It will take until the end of training camp to decide this one, but it's a criminally underrated position battle that the Bears have to get right.
Read more: Bears coach praises Tyrique Stevenson for what fans didn't see
CB2 - Tyrique Stevenson and Malik Muhammad
Stevenson is coming off a down season in which he was on the bench for the final portion. Muhammad is a fourth-round pick in this year's draft with a lot to prove, but getting plenty of buzz as a sleeper selection for Chicago. The Bears took a chance on not bringing back Nahshon Wright and C.J. Gardner-Johnson at cornerback, so they need to take their time in picking between Stevenson and Muhammad.
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