Recapping Day 9 of Chicago Bears training camp

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The Chicago Bears were back at Halas Hall for their ninth practice of training camp on Saturday, where they conducted a non-padded session after an off day.

After an off day on Friday, the Bears were back on the practice field for a non-padded session that was once again dominated by injuries. Wide receiver Luther Burden III, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and safety Cam Lewis all suffered injuries. But there was also plenty of good to come out of practice, including quarterback Caleb Williams and his connection with tight end Colston Loveland and receiver Rome Odunze, as well as some key rookie standouts and developments at key position battles.

Let's recap Day 9 of Bears training camp:

Takeaways​

• Caleb Williams hit Rome Odunze for play of the day: Practice ended on a strong note with former first-round picks Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze accounting for the play of the day during the end-of-game drill. According to Greg Braggs, Williams "did his Superman thing" when he evaded pressure from Austin Booker and bought time before launching the ball off his back foot from the 30-yard line to Odunze, who hauled in an impressive catch for the "game winner." Adam Hogenoted that the "catch was probably even better than the throw" and Dan Wiederer called the play "jaw-dropping." The Bears are hoping for plenty of that connection during the regular season.
• Colston Loveland continues to dominate: Another day, another practice where second-year pro Colston Loveland continues to showcase his potential as a top tight end in the NFL. According to Mark Carman, Loveland "made multiple incredible catches high-pointing the ball in coverage in both corners of the end zone." Loveland dominated practice, per Courtney Cronin. "High pointed a ball on the first play, two plays later catches a ball while diving in the corner of the end zone and punted the ball in celebration." According to Greg Braggs, Loveland "mossed" Dillon Thieneman for a touchdown, where he was "all hands." Braggs noted that Williams and Loveland are a "scary duo."
• Jordan van den Berg rotated with first-team defense: One of the biggest rookie standouts so far in training camp has been sixth-round defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg, who continues to garner praise and earn more opportunities. According to Adam Jahns, van den Berg rotated in with the first-team defense during a low red-zone drill on Saturday, which isn't the first time the rookie has seen time with the starters. Courtney Cronin noted that van den Berg is "pure brute strength" and that it's been fun watching him go against the offensive line, specifically in one-on-one drills. Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. singled out one play where van den Berg had a "solid bull rush" going against fellow rookie Logan Jones. Bears veterans had plenty of praise for van den Berg. Neville Gallimore said: "He's not a guy that you need to get going. He plays with a high motor." Grady Jarrett said: "He’s got the right mindset. We’re excited to have him."
• Dillon Thieneman records his first INT of camp: The Bears' top rookie safety Dillon Thieneman had a standout day during Saturday's practice, and he was one of several rookies making strong impressions. Thieneman recorded his first interception of training camp, picking off quarterback Caleb Williams on a "Hail Mary-like heave" to end the first end-of-game situation, according to Adam Jahns. Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. said that Thieneman also had "a nice fill in the run game stuffing Kyle Monangai in the hole." It wasn't a perfect day for Thieneman, who had trouble against tight end Colston Loveland, who mossed him for a red-zone touchdown, per Greg Braggs. Then again, Loveland has given even the most established of starters issues this summer. Bear Reportnoted that "Thieneman doesn't get enough credit for how well he's practiced during camp so far. He's all over the place making plays."
• Position battle updates at left tackle, nickel, safety: There have been injuries across the board at left tackle, nickel and safety, and that's impacted the individual battles and depth positioning. With Braxton Jones not at practice, it was Jedrick Wills Jr. working primarily with the first-team offense, per Josh Buckhalter, while Kiran Amegadjie rotated in. Meanwhile, at nickel cornerback, Jaylon Jones wasn't present, so it was rookie Malik Muhammad getting the work in the slot. According to Dan Wiederer, Muhammad to a "standout practice" where he was "very active" and had "plenty of juice." Courtney Cronin added that Muhammad one a pass breakup on the first play of 11-on-11 action between both starting units. After Cam Lewis went down with an injury, it was undrafted rookie Skyler Thomas running with the first-team defense opposite Dillon Thieneman at safety, per Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.-- Alyssa Barbieri

Studs​

• TE Sam Roush: Welcome to Bears training camp, Sam Roush. It took some time for the rookie to start making plays, but they came in bunches on Saturday as Roush appeared to have his best practice yet as a pro. According to CHGO's Greg Braggs, Roush had three touchdowns on the day, and he saved the best for last. Windy City Gridiron's Lester Wiltfong saw quarterback Tyson Bagent's pass get tipped at the line of scrimmage that was intended for running back Kyle Monangai. Roush had a quick reaction to come down with the catch for the score. Roush connected with Bagent multiple times, and it's a good sign for the rookie as he gets eased into the offense.
• WR Rome Odunze: Wide receiver Rome Odunze ended practice on the highest of notes. On the final play of the day, ESPN's Courtney Cronin sets the scene. There are 12 seconds left with the offense down by seven. Williams gets the ball and has to buy time with pressure from the defense closing in around him. He gets enough space to deliver a ball to the back of the end zone for Odunze, who catches it with three or four defenders near him for the touchdown. Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribunesaw Odunze secure the ball with his arms extended, and FOX 32's Chris Kwiecinski called it "the play of the day."
• S Dillon Thieneman: It's been a tough start to camp for first-round pick Dillon Thieneman, but the safety out of Oregon arguably had his best practice on Saturday. CHGO's Adam Jahns notes that Thieneman came down with an interception off Williams on the final play of a situational drill, but his best play came on run defense. He stood up running back Kyle Monangai, which would have gone for a tackle for loss in a game, which seemed to excite defensive backs coach Al Harris, according to Jahns. Though Thieneman's day wasn't flawless, as he continues to get picked on by tight end Colston Loveland, the rookie is starting to show more poise in both run and pass defense. -- Brendan Sugrue

Injury updates​

The Bears continue to be plagued by the injury bug, which took out three players during Saturday's practice. Wide receiver Luther Burden III, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and safety Cam Lewis were all injured on Day 9. Burden and Stevenson were injured during a one-on-one red zone rep, per Dan Wiederer. While Stevenson was able to stick it out for the duration of practice, although he was limping, Burden limped away from the practice field with a trainer. Meanwhile, Lewis was hurt on the second to last play of the first end-of-game situation, according to Courtney Cronin. Lewis was in "a lot of pain," per Patrick Finley, and eventually took the cart back from a far practice field to the facility. Defensive end Montez Sweat and left tackle Braxton Jones were not present at practice after suffering injuries during Thursday's padded workout.

Press conferences (Richard Hightower, Grady Jarrett, Jahdae Walker, Neville Gallimore)​

What's next​

The Bears return to the practice field on Sunday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. CT for another open practice. Stay tuned for updates here on Bears Wire.

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Recapping Day 9 of Chicago Bears training camp

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