The Chicago Bears' 2026 minicamp is in the books, and now the team has an extended 'summer break' before they reconvene for training camp in late July. It's still early in the offseason and we have a long way yet to go before any meaningful football is played, but we still saw some intriguing things from the Bears and some of their key players. Here's what we've learned about this team so far.

1. Caleb Williams is on track for another breakout season

Caleb Williams' breakout season in 2025 was mostly the result of finally having a competent head coach, but Williams still struggled mightily at times in Ben Johnson's notoriously complex offense. Heading into Year 2 of the same system, however, appears to be working wonders for the third-year quarterback.

According to ESPN's Courtney Cronin, Williams is displaying a greater level of comfort in the huddle, a sign that he's in greater command of the offense. And as Williams' command of Ben Johnson's offense increases, so too will his efficiency on the field. If this development continues through training camp, Williams' potential in his third season will hit the stratosphere.

2. Jordan van den Berg could be a draft steal, but not anytime soon

Back in April, I wrote that rookie DT Jordan van den Berg could be the steal of the 2026 NFL draft, and I still believe that. But it became clear in minicamp that, if van den Berg is going to have a breakout season, it won't be anytime soon. According to reports, van den Berg struggled quite a bit with his get-off during practices, which is to be expected of so raw a rookie. The silver lining of van den Berg's issue, however, is that it gives the rookie a clear focus for training camp. He knows what he needs to work on, now he just needs to put in the work.

3. The left tackle position battles is beginning to establish a pecking order

One of the most important position battles for the Bears in training camp will be at left tackle, and we may already know where each player falls in the pecking order to start. According to reports, veteran Braxton Jones was getting most of the reps with the starters in minicamp, ahead of free agency acquisition Jedrick Wills Jr.

I mostly expected it to shake out this way, at least this early in the process. But now we know for sure that Braxton Jones is commanding the Bears' left tackle competition for now. It appears to be his job to lose in training camp.

4. Bears fans might be underestimating Zavion Thomas

Third-round pick Zavion Thomas was a controversial selection by general manager Ryan Poles during the 2026 NFL draft. According to most draft rankings, Thomas was a late sixth-rounder, at best. But early returns in OTAs and minicamp are promising. Thomas caught a gorgeous deep ball from Caleb Williams in OTAs for a long touchdown, and in minicamp he made a snazzy midair adjustment to catch a poorly thrown ball from Tyson Bagent, according to Bears beat reporter Herb Howard.

Most fans and analysts expect the veteral Kalif Raymond to be the WR3 on Chicago's depth chart, and he likely will be to start the year. But keep your eye on the rookie Zavion Thomas.

5. Jaylon Johnson is back

The 2025 season was almost a complete loss for two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson. He injured his groin early in the summer, only appeared in seven games, and was clearly nowhere close to being at full-strength. However, any fears of his struggles carrying over into 2026 can be put to bed. Johnson had a minicamp bounce-back for the ages when he picked off Caleb Williams not once but twice in practice.

If the Bears are to contend for a Super Bowl in 2026, they're going to need much better and more consistent play from their secondary, and Johnson appears primed to deliver.

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