Bears training camp primer — Part 1

THE OFFSEASON-IN-REVIEW TIMELINE

Jan. 5 — The Bears beat the Packers 24-22 to end a 10-game losing streak and finish 5-12 — giving interim head coach Thomas Brown his first win after five consecutive losses in place of fired predecessor Matt Eberflus.

Jan. 7 — Bears chairman George McCaskey and team president Kevin Warren back general manager Ryan Poles as the "point person" for the search to hire a new head coach.

Jan. 20 — Fate moves its huge hands in the Bears' favor, as the Lions are upset by the Commanders at home in their playoff opener, and 38-year-old offensive coordinator Ben Johnson — the hottest candidate in the 2025 cycle — opens his Zoom interview with the Bears the following day by saying, "I want this job." Without even an in-person interview, Johnson is almost immediately hired as the 18th head coach in franchise history. The Bears interviewed or considered at least 18 candidates, including former NFL head coaches Pete Carroll, Mike Vrabel, Mike McCarthy and ex-Bear Ron Rivera.

Jan. 22 — Johnson is introduced at a Halas Hall press conference, and sounds more like he was the head coach of the Lions than the offensive coordinator. "Going into this season, I thought this place was a sleeping giant," he said. "I was more concerned about the Bears than I was about anyone else in this division."

He can't resist a shot at the Packers. "I've got tremendous respect for the coaches and players in this league, having competed against them for the last six years. Dan Campbell, Kevin O'Connell, and to be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.

(For the record, the Lions — including defense and special teams — were 5-1 against the Packers in Johnson's three seasons as offensive coordinator, scoring 34, 24, 22, 34, 20 and 15 points.)

Jan. 28 — Johnson hires his coordinators: former Saints coach Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator; Broncos tight ends coach Declan Doyle as offensive coordinator and he retains Richard Hightower as special teams coordinator.

Feb. 6 — Bears owner Virginia McCaskey, the daughter of Bears founder George Halas, dies at 102. "While we are sad, we are comforted knowing Virginia Halas McCaskey lived a long, full, faith-filled life and is now with the love of her life on earth," the McCaskey family said in a statement.

Feb. 8 — Former Bears coach Dick Jauron dies at 74 at his home in Massachusetts. Jauron coached the Bears from 1999-2003 and led them to a 13-3 record and NFC North title in a memorable 2001 season.

Feb. 19 — In a letter to season-ticket holders, Bears president Kevin Warren — citing "market dynamics, industry trends and a strong home schedule" — announces an average ticket price increase of 10% for the 2025 season.

Feb. 20 — Johnson announces his coaching staff, including position coaches J.T. Barrett (quarterbacks), Dan Roushar (offensive line) Eric Bieniemy (running backs), Antwaan Randle-El (wide receivers), Jim Dray (tight ends), Jeremy Garrett (defensive line), Richard Smith (linebackers), Al Harris (defensive backs) and Matt Giordano (safeties).

March 4 — The Bears agree to trade a sixth-round draft pick to the Rams for guard Jonah Jackson, who played in Johnson's offense with the Lions in 2022 and 2023.

March 5 — The Bears agree to trade a 2026 sixth-round draft pick to the Chiefs for All-Pro guard Joe Thuney.

March 10 — The Bears agree to contracts with Falcons center Drew Dalman (three years, $42 million, $28 million guaranteed), Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (three years, $43.5 million, $28.5 million guaranteed) and Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (three years, $48 million, $32 million guaranteed) in free agency.

March 11 — The Bears re-sign long-snapper Scott Daly to a one-year, $1.3 million contract.

March 12 — Slot cornerback Kyler Gordon is honored as the Bears' winner of the Ed Block Courage Award. He is among the leading candidates for a long-term extension. "I love Chicago," he said. "I love everything about it — the people, the history, the team, the community. So if this is where God tells me to be, ther is where I will be."

March 14 — The Bears agreed on a one-year contract with Commanders wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus.

April 2 — Speaking at the owners' meetings in Palm Beach, Fla., Bears president Kevin Warren says the team's focus no longer is fixated on a downtown site. "The focus now is both downtown and Arlington Heights," he said.

April 4 — The Bears sign veteran quarterback Case Keenum to a one-year $3 million contract to mentor Caleb Williams and compete with Tyson Bagent for the back-up quarterback job.

April 15 — The Bears sign slot cornerback Kyler Gordon to a three-year, $40 million contract extension, with $31.25 million guaranteed, through the 2028 season. The deal makes him the highest-paid slot cornerback in the NFL.

April 23 — Bears Hall of Fame defensive tackle Steve "Mongo" McMichael dies at 67 after a four-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). "I don't want to remember him in the bed," former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Dan Hampton told the Sun-Times. "In my mind's eye, it's 'Ming' and I chasing down Tommy Kramer and Kenny Stabler and laughing like hyenas."

April 24 — The Bears select Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft, bypassing Penn State's Tyler Warren (who went 14th to the Colts).

April 25 — The Bears select Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III (39th overall), Boston College offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo (56th overall) and Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner (62nd overall) in the draft.

April 26 — The Bears select Maryland linebacker Ruben Hyppolite (fourth round), Texas-San Antonio cornerback Zah Frazier (fifth round), Michigan State offensive lineman Luke Newman (sixth round) and Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai (seventh round) in the draft.

May 14 — The Bears will open the 2025 regular-season against the Vikings on Monday Night Football on Sept. 8 at Soldier Field. It is one of three prime time games (at Commanders on Oct. 13; at 49ers on Dec. 28).

Other notable dates: Ben Johnson faces his former team in Week 2 (Sept. 14 at Ford Field); The Bears face former coach Matt Eberflus (the Cowboys' defensive coordinator) in Week 3 at Soldier Field; The Bears' bye is Week 5; They face the Packers on Dec. 7 at Lambeau Field and Dec. 20 at Soldier Field.

May 15 — An upcoming book by ESPN's Seth Wickersham ("American Kings: A Biography Of The Quarterback") reveals that Caleb Williams' father Carl Williams considered circumventing the the 2024 draft because "Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die." According to the book, Caleb Williams also had doubts about the Bears — "Do I want to go there? I don't think I can do it with [offensive coordinator Shane] Waldron."

May 16 — In what seemed inevitable, the Bears announce they have shifted their focus for a new stadium back to Arlington Heights and the 326-acre property on the former site of Arlington Park.

May 20 — The Bears sign All-Pro guard Joe Thuney to a two-year, $35 million contract extension through the 2027 season.

May 28 — Caleb Williams, speaking to the media after the second week of OTA practices, responds to the revelations of the Seth Wickersham book, didn't dispute the details of his and his father's doubts about the Bears ("Being able to have those thoughts is, I think, fair," he said.), but said it was a passing thought that he got over and was all-in with the Bears.

"I wanted to come here and be the guy and be a reason why the Chicago Bears turn this thing around."

June 12 — Unofficial winners of the offseason — again — the Bears hold their final OTA practice and break for the summer. Players report on July 22 and the first practice is July 23. And Johnson's message references the attention-to-detail and accountability that withered during the Eberflus era.

"When we come back, it'll be about the fundamentals and the techniques. They'll. know what that's about," Johnson said. "How we want to practice. What's allowed. What's not allowed. I think they're going to take that and run with it — our vets will."

July 19 — The Bears announce that cornerback Jaylon Johnson is one of four players who will start training camp on the Non-football Injured Reserve (NFI) list — for players who suffer injuries or illnesses away from the Bears' facility. There is no indication from the Bears why Johnson is on the list. The others on the NFI list are quarterback Case Keenum, second-year running back Ian Wheeler and undrafted rookie wide receiver Jahdae Walker.

July 20 — The Bears announced that Case Keenum has been removed from the NFI list.