The Chicago Bears' offense hasn't been up to par early in training camp, with Caleb Williams struggling with accuracy and publicly getting frustrated by it. New head coach Ben Johnson has high expectations, and they need this practice time to properly develop.
Nevertheless, Johnson has been adamant about his displeasure with the overall performance. The offensive line is still taking time to gel, Williams hasn't had his best camp, and Johnson's pointed comments should make the unit as a whole push harder.
That seems to be what happened during Tuesday's practice, as the offense is getting physical and letting its temper fly in a competitive outing.
Super intense start to practice. Lots of live tackling in short yardage and goal line situation. We’ve seen a few extra curricular pushing, cause both sides are competing. Hard.
— Scott Bair (@ScottBairNFL) August 5, 2025
Bears Offense Responds to Ben Johnson's Comments With Fiery Practice
Bears insider Scott Bair of Marquee Sports Network noted on X that it was a "super intense start to practice. Lots of live tackling in short yardage and goal line situation. We've seen a few extra curricular pushing, cause both sides are competing. Hard."
Chicago's defense has been the superior group this summer, so it's great to see the offense showing some fight. They're tired of getting pushed around, and with Williams struggling, maybe this can be the practice that flips the script and gets the Bears on the right track.
🚨FIRST BROUHAHA OF CAMP 🚨
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) August 5, 2025
Rome Odunze had his helmet pulled off. Couldn’t tell exactly who was involved defensively. Antwaan Randle El was playfully pulled from the scrum by another coach.
Right to it with the next play.
There was even a moment that saw second-year wide receiver Rome Odunze get his helmet pulled off, as fellow insider Adam Hoge pointed out. Receivers coach Antwaan Randle El was pulled from the scrum by another coach, and then it was quickly time for the next play. These dust-ups happen at every training camp, and it's likely that we'll see more before it's all said and done.
After watching film of camp work, Johnson inferred that the offensive line has been letting the team down, suggesting there were communication errors and linemen going the wrong way.
This Bears team expects to compete for the NFC North sooner rather than later. They have the talent to be a Wild Card team as soon as this season, especially if Johnson's impact on the offense is felt quickly. You only have so much time to maximize a quarterback's rookie contract window, meaning this is the perfect time for Chicago to strike.
Johnson's words seem to have gotten the offense worked up, and fans should hope that motivating tool proves effective. The Bears open the preseason on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, and it'll be the first chance to get a look at the new schemes. This could be a special year for the franchise, but only if Williams and his group can hold up their end of the bargain.
There's plenty of time left before Week 1, and practice skirmishes like this could be for the best down the road.