Lake Forest, Ill.– The Chicago Bears third practice of training camp will kick off on Friday morning and with two full days of practice already in the books, we’re beginning to see just what kind of team the Bears could be in 2022.
While two full days of practice aren’t enough to evaluate the roster, there have been some encouraging signs from players such as quarterback Justin Fields, tight end Cole Kmet, wide receiver Darnell Mooney, and cornerback Kyler Gordon impressing early in training camp.
As the Bears get ready for day three, let’s look at some key storylines to watch.
1) What to make of the Teven Jenkins situation?
While Teven Jenkins has seen reps with the second team throughout the offseason, news broke on Thursday that while he was spotted at Halas Hall, the 2021 second-round pick was not seen practicing. After missing a majority of his rookie season due to a back injury, questions will continue to surface about Jenkins role with the Bears.
While he should be a swing tackle for now, its unknown what caused Jenkins to miss practice on Thursday. When the Bears hit the field on Friday, all eyes will be scanning the field to see if Jenkins is ready to go. If he misses practice for a second straight day, there could be serious doubt about whether or not the Bears consider him to be a long-term part of the future.
2) Will offensive coordinator Luke Getsy make any adjustments on Friday after his comments on Thursday?
“For me, it’s the lack of execution that I’m focused on right now,” Getsy said following Thusday’s practice. “That’s what pisses me off more than anything is right now is getting that stuff taken care of and getting that out of there and guys knowing what the heck to do so that we can talk about stuff like that as you get going.”
After seeing a number of drops through the first two days of practice, Getsy may just opt to change something up with the hope of seeing better results. In the past, players like wide receiver Darnell Mooney have been seen working on the JUGS machine following practice, seeing far better results the next day. The same could apply for Friday if the Bears continue to struggle.
3) The Bears wide receiver room
It’s Darnell Mooney and everyone else right now when evaluating the wide receiver room. While Velus Jones Jr., Byron Pringle, N’Keal Harry, and Dazz Newsome have all had their moments in practice, no wide receiver has been more consistent than Mooney.
Mooney being ahead of everyone else was expected but as training camp continues, the names mentioned above need to start separating themselves from the rest of the pack. With the Bears first preseason game a little over two weeks away, how the wide recievers continue to progress will impact the first depth chart but also how competition could be shaped throughout August.