OTAs finally get underway this week for the Chicago Bears in 2026, and this one might be more important than the others they have had in the past decade-plus.
Momentum is completely on the Bears' side after going 11-6, winning the NFC North, and beating the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card game. This is a roster filled with young talent and potential, which has many believing that second-year head coach Ben Johnson can eventually lead them to the Super Bowl.
That doesn't mean the team doesn't have a lot of questions they need to get answered before the season. There will be some big storylines for fans in Chicago to monitor heading into OTAs.
Biggest storylines to monitor during the 2026 Chicago Bears OTAs
Caleb Williams' second season in Ben Johnson's offensive scheme
It wasn't the smoothest process in the beginning, but Johnson's tough coaching paid off as Williams came up huge for the Bears in his second year in the NFL. Williams now enters his second season in Johnson's offense and will have to take an even bigger step forward with more being put on his plate. Sure, accuracy will be a big focus for improvement, but more development is needed to get Williams to where he needs to be if he wants to be a superstar in the NFL.
Zavion Thomas's first look in the Bears' offense
Bears' third-round pick Zavion Thomas has a lot of buzz around him with his 4.28 speed, but Poles has already stated that he expects Thomas to be more of a special teams guy as a returner in his rookie season. During rookie minicamp, Thomas was seen playing wide receiver and lined up in the back, so Johnson clearly has a plan for him in some capacity. If Thomas is truly just a special teams player, this might be one of the few chances to see how he does on the field.
The left tackle position must be decided soon, but progress is needed first
Don't expect Ozzy Trapilo on the field for a while, so it's a three-way battle for the left tackle job between favorite Braxton Jones, Jedrick Wills Jr., and Theo Benedet. There has been a ton of buzz around Jones taking a big step in the offseason to get his confidence back, and he could be in for a big 2026 season. Hopefully, the hype is real for the Bears because they need him more than ever.
One of the biggest position battles gets underway at center
While the left tackle position battle might be the most important, just a couple of steps away on the offensive line is another big battle about to happen between Garrett Bradbury and rookie second-round pick Logan Jones at center. Bradbury is considered the favorite to replace Drew Dalman after his retirement, but Jones is the future of the position. These OTAs could be the first to determine whether the Bears start the future now or wait one year to put Jones on the field.
Can Chicago's edge rushers step up in a major way after a disappointing 2025 season?
For this position group, there might be more pressure on Bears general manager Ryan Poles, as he did nothing to improve the edge rushers in the offseason. Everyone knows what Montez Sweat can do, but it'll be more on Austin Booker to take that Year 3 leap everyone expects him to, and Dayo Odeyingbo has to prove that he's not a free agent bust of a signing from last offseason. Of all the position groups on this Bears franchise, the edge rushers face the most pressure to improve on their 2025 performance, after the team recorded just 33 sacks.
Chicago's cornerbacks take the field, but will Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon be there?
Gordon is once again dealing with a soft-tissue injury, which might keep him out of all OTAs, and Johnson recently got married, so it's unknown whether he will be there or not. It's also a first look at rookie fourth-round pick Malik Muhammad, who might be competing with Tyrique Stevenson for the CB2 job. The question will be who will battle for the slot corner position with Gordon out.
First time seeing Coby Bryant and Dillon Thieneman working together at safety
This is going to be the duo that'll carry the Bears' secondary for at least the next three seasons. The "312" combo gets to start working together for the first time since Bryant signed his free agent contract and Thieneman was drafted in the first round. They have big shoes to fill with All-Pro Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker gone, so it'll be important to see them gel together quickly.
Read more: Former NFL executive just told Bears fans what they are bracing for in 2026
Special teams have to determine their main returner on kickoff and punt
As mentioned earlier, Thomas will be more about taking back returns in his rookie season, but there will be plenty of competition he will face off against. Kalif Raymond was also added this offseason as a potential DJ Moore replacement at WR3, but he can also be a returner. Those two might have a friendly competition going on special teams to be the main returner.
Add us as a preferred source on Google