Biggest winners and losers from Bears' first 2 weeks of training camp

The Chicago Bears are two weeks into training camp, where head coach Ben Johnson is preparing his team for a demanding 2026 season.

It was certainly a memorable second week of training camp, where injuries dominated the conversation and some under-the-radar players have made strong statements. The intensity and physicality has ramped up with the arrival of pads, where several position battles have taken some interesting turns heading into the start of preseason. While the offense dominated in non-padded practices, the defense has closed the gap as both units continue to challenge each other.

With two weeks of training camp in the books, here's a look at the biggest winners and losers for the Bears, which includes several injured players and others who are capitalizing on more opportunities.

Winner: DT Jordan van den Berg

Sixth-round rookie defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg has been one of the biggest winners of training camp since the pads came on. Van den Berg has garnered praise from his veteran defensive line teammates, including Grady Jarrett, Austin Booker and Neville Gallimore, as well as defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Van den Berg has even earned starting reps with the first-team defense, where his physicality, effort and football instincts have been on display.

Loser: S Coby Bryant

The Bears were expecting safety Coby Bryant to serve as a key piece in Dennis Allen's defense, but they're going to have wait four to six months -- or even next season -- to see that come to fruition. This week, it was announced that Bryant underwent surgery on his knee that will sideline him for most of the 2026 season. It's a huge blow for Chicago's defense, and there's even more pressure on first-round rookie Dillon Thieneman to deliver in Year 1.

Winner: S Xavier Woods

The Bears' signing of veteran safety Xavier Woods just a few days ago is a significant move with Bryant sidelined for most of the 2026 season. Not only has Woods been running with the first-team defense opposite Thieneman since ramping up to action, but he made a strong impression in his first full practice. Woods intercepted quarterback Caleb Williams on a Hail-Mary attempt while also delivering a hard hit on tight end Colston Loveland, who's been difficult to defend this summer, on a fourth-and-10 play. Woods is in line to start at safety for the Bears in 2026.

Loser: LT Braxton Jones

Last week, head coach Ben Johnson said the team was hoping to find clarity at left tackle sooner than later. That is until Braxton Jones went down with an injury, and he's missed the last several practices while a rotation of Jedrick Wills Jr. and Kiran Amegadjie has ensued. If Jones had remained healthy, there's a good chance the Bears would've already wrapped this left tackle battle up (especially after he'd earned most of the starting reps at that point). But with Jones still sidelined, the rotation continues with the hope Jones returns sooner than later. Meanwhile, there's been a significant development with another piece of left tackle injury news...

Winner: LT Ozzy Trapilo

One of the biggest developments of the week was news that left tackle Ozzy Trapilo is way ahead of schedule after suffering a ruptured patellar tendon during the wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers in January. The expectation is Trapilo would miss most of the 2026 season. Now, general manager Ryan Poles indicated that he's ahead of schedule and could "potentially" return as soon as the end of training camp. That would be a huge benefit for Chicago's offensive line, especially after Trapilo had shored up the left tackle position during his rookie season.

Loser: DC Dennis Allen

For the second consecutive season, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is being hampered by injuries to key players on his defense, which will make it difficult for him to execute his defense to its full extent. Allen still is without nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon, who Allen singled out as a key piece back when he was hired last offseason. Now, Allen is missing his top safety Coby Bryant, who's sidelined four to six months after knee surgery. Allen just can't catch a break.

Winner: RB D'Andre Swift

Running back D'Andre Swift has quietly been having a strong training camp fresh off a career year under Ben Johnson, where he totaled 1,087 rushing yards and nine touchdowns as part of Chicago's top-three run game. Swift has showcased some explosive runs during practice, especially when the pads came on, and he's been excelling on the right side of the offensive line behind newly-extended right tackle Darnell Wright. Swift has also been contributing as a pass catcher and in short-yardage situations. It sounds like RB1 is ready for 2026.

Loser: WR Luther Burden III

Second-year receiver Luther Burden III will miss the entire preseason after suffering a groin injury during a rep against cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. Ben Johnson said Burden will "hopefully" be ready for Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, but this isn't the most encouraging news. Groin injuries are known to linger and be reaggravated. Just look at Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon from last season. The hope is Burden can stay healthy while still being the playmaker this offense needs him to be.

Winner: WR Jahdae Walker

With Burden sidelined with a groin injury, second-year wideout Jahdae Walker has seen more opportunities with the first-team offense. He continues to make plays with both the first- and second-team offense while developing his rapport with quarterback Caleb Williams. Walker continues to make some big catches during practice, showing he could be poised for a mini-breakout. With Burden not guaranteed to be ready for Week 1, we could see Walker with a significant role early this season.

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Biggest winners and losers from Bears' first 2 weeks of training camp