The Chicago Bears have been bitten hard by the injury bug during training camp. Many fans have questioned the tactics on display by Ben Johnson and the other coaches—saying the team has been too physical and maybe needs to take it a little easier. Well, one former Bears linebacker thinks otherwise. I was lucky enough to ask Lance Briggs about the situation.
Briggs joined the Bears and USAA at Halas Hall for a Salute to Service NFL Boot Camp, where members of Naval Station Great Lakes competed in a series of NFL-style drills and got a firsthand look at the game's physical demands.
I spoke with Briggs after the event. While our conversation touched on his experience working with the service members, I also wanted his perspective on one of the biggest concerns facing the Chicago Bears heading into the 2026 season: injuries.
Lance Briggs says Bears cannot be afraid of a physical training camp
Chicago's most devastating loss is safety Coby Bryant. The Bears' prized free-agent addition underwent knee surgery and is expected to miss four to six months, putting most—if not all—of his first season in Chicago in jeopardy.
Then there is Luther Burden III.
After emerging as one of the most exciting players at Bears training camp, the second-year receiver suffered a strained groin during a contested catch and is expected to miss the entire preseason. The good news is that Chicago believes Burden should return by Week 1.
Braxton Jones has also missed time while competing for the starting left tackle job, although he recently returned to limited work.
And then there's the strange situation surrounding Kyler Gordon.
Gordon remains on the PUP list with a calf injury after dealing with soft-tissue injuries throughout the offseason. Both Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson have publicly expressed frustration over his inability to get healthy, with Johnson delivering a simple message to Gordon earlier in camp—"Get healthy."
With injuries piling up, it's fair to wonder whether there comes a point when the Chicago Bears need to pull back on the physicality. According to Briggs, that would be a mistake.
Briggs was remarkably durable during his career, missing just four games due to injury over his first 11 seasons. During my interview with Briggs, I asked the former Bears linebacker how players balance preparing themselves physically for an NFL season without unnecessarily putting themselves, or their teammates, in harm's way
""You got to be physical every day. You got to be physical in some way or form every day. That's the nature of the sport.""Lance Briggs
Briggs believes dialing back the physicality too much during training could actually create problems once the regular season begins. "The more you tailor off, I think the more dangerous it makes when you get on the field if you have to be aggressive and violent on Sundays."
That's an interesting perspective considering what's happening at Halas Hall. Nobody wants to watch another key Bears player go down during a practice that doesn't count in the standings. But Briggs' point is that players also have to condition themselves for the physical punishment coming when those games do count.
""You have some of the largest, most athletic men in the world who are bearing down on you. You cannot ask someone to just do it. Either you are forming good habits, or you are forming bad habits. Bad habits come when you are not hitting, you are not getting the contact, you are not getting the physical nature.""Lance Briggs
In other words, injuries are an unfortunate reality of football. Trying to eliminate every opportunity for them to occur could leave players less prepared for Sundays.
That doesn't mean that Briggs believes players should beat each other throughout the season. He explained that once players reach midseason form, practices can transition more toward "form and fit" while teams manage the physical toll.
But training camp is designed to prepare players for what's coming. And, according to Briggs, physical football is part of that preparation. The injuries haven't lowered his expectations for the Bears in 2026.
Before our conversation ended, I asked Briggs what he expects from Chicago this season. His answer required only four words.
""More than 11 wins.""Lance Briggs
Read more: Bears-Falcons Week 6 showdown got flipped on its head with new update
The Bears might be bruised before the season has even begun, but one of the best linebackers in franchise history certainly isn't lowering the bar.
Add us as a preferred source on Google