3 Things To Watch During Chicago Bears OTAs

This week marks the start of the next set of spring practices for the Monsters Of The Midway, as most of the 90-man offseason roster will visit Halas Hall for the first set of voluntary OTAs on May 27-29, with the second set coming June 2-4. However, despite lasting only six days total, there’s still plenty of intrigue around the reigning NFC North champions. Here are three things to watch for once the workouts start on Wednesday.

1: The Receiving Corps Around Caleb Williams

Chicago’s receiving room remains both one of the league’s most exciting and one of the roster’s more intriguing storylines entering OTAs. With DJ Moore now in Buffalo and Caleb Williams entering year three, how the wealth will be shared is going to look rather different in 2026.

Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III are the clear-cut top targets, and will probably end up in a WR1A/1B situation, given the talent/skill of each and how much Caleb Williams trusted them last season. But, with Burden stepping into a bigger role this year, the Bears no longer have a definitive third option at the position.

While Week 16 hero (one of many) Jahdae Walker is likely the frontrunner, he’s certainly not the only candidate. Third-round pick Zavion Thomas is also expected to get plenty of attention during workouts, especially after Ben Johnson reportedly pushed for the explosive playmaker during the draft process.

Regardless of how it all plays out, the Bears will have no shortage of options, which should help them remain one of the NFC’s most potent offenses.

2: Questions Along the Offensive Line—Especially Left Tackle

It appeared last season as though the Bears had finally fixed the offensive line issues that had plagued them for years. Unfortunately, the team once again finds itself with several questions to answer when it comes to protecting Caleb Williams, even after several offseason additions—and in part, because of them.

While GM Ryan Poles did add center Garrett Bradbury in the wake of Drew Dalman’s unexpected retirement, and reinforced the tackle position by signing Jedrick Wills Jr. and bringing back Braxton Jones, the reality is none of those three are a true lock to start in Week 1. The Bears have already said that second-rounder Logan Jones will be in contention for the starting center job right away, and both Wills Jr. and Jones will be thrust into the four-man battle for left tackle—along with Theo Benedet and Kiran Amegadije—while Ozzy Trapilo continues to rehab from his knee injury.

While the o-line is a difficult position group to evaluate during OTAs due to the league’s no-contact rule, the next two weeks will still provide an early opportunity for Ben Johnson to evaluate depth pieces and positional flexibility before training camp in July.

3: The Defense—Especially the Secondary and Linebackers

Defensively, the biggest OTA storyline centers around the absence of key defensive backs Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon. As in years past, Johnson has reportedly opted to stay home from voluntary workouts, while Gordon is currently dealing with another soft-tissue injury.

Though both absences drew attention, Gordon’s absence is more significant since his absence is not due to injury rehab. That said, these absences put extra attention on players like Tyrique Stevenson, Coby Bryant, and rookie safety Dillon Thieneman. All of whom will now have more opportunities to show out at OTAs.

Chicago also added several ‘extra' defensive backs this offseason, including Anthony Johnson Jr. and Cam Lewis, suggesting the team wants more competition and insurance in the secondary, both in training camp and once the season starts

The linebacker group also deserves attention, particularly regarding depth and versatility behind the starters. After losing Tremaine Edmunds and with T. J. Edwards still recovering from the leg injury he suffered in the playoffs, OTAs will give defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and the rest of the defensive staff an early look at the team's offseason additions at linebacker, including Jack Sanborn and Devin Bush.

The coaching staff will also evaluate several returning players expected to step into larger roles in 2026, such as D'Marco Jackson. Currently, the depth chart at linebacker is a bit of a mystery, and with mandatory minicamp taking place from June 9-11, the Bears are hoping OTAs will help provide some clarity before then.

Ultimately, OTAs are only the first step in the long road toward the regular season. But, they can reveal a great deal about where a team stands entering the summer, and the Bears have plenty of questions going into theirs. But if they can answer some of those questions early, the hype surrounding the team will only continue to grow as the season approaches.