Chicago Bears Training Camp 2021: Predictions, preview, team news, and more

The Chicago Bears are the definition of a franchise being a quarterback away from being a great team. The 2020 season is a perfect example of that. Chicago, with Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles at quarterback, somehow finished with an 8-8 record. Miraculously, they even made the playoffs as a wild card team.

Chicago's defense, led by Khalil Mack, carried the load in 2020, as they did during the 2019 season. This upcoming season, the Bears will be looking for their offense to finally step up so the team can embark on a deep run in the playoffs.

If Chicago can get some production from their offense, they could be a real contender in the NFC North, especially if Aaron Rodgers were to find his way out of Green Bay.

While the Bears hope for a more lethal offense, there's still a ton of uncertainty on that side of the ball, primarily at the quarterback position. Training camp will be essential for Justin Fields and Andy Dalton to prove they're worthy of the starting job.

Bears' training camp begins July 27 at Halas Hall, Lake Forest, IL.

Chicago Bears offseason news roundup

The Bears' offseason was headlined by news surrounding the quarterback position. Chicago opted against retaining Mitchell Trubisky and signed Andy Dalton as the starter. However, the Bears pulled off a big coup in the 2021 NFL draft by moving up the board and selecting Justin Fields with the 11th overall pick.

Luckily for Fields and Dalton, the Bears also retained star wideout Allen Robinson on the franchise tag. Robinson will be looking to have another big season in 2021 so he can earn a huge payday next offseason.

Another offensive piece added to the Bears roster this offseason was free-agent Damien Williams. He will serve as depth at the running back position.

Additionally, the Bears re-signed Germain Ifedi and drafted Teven Jenkins in the second round of the draft. Ifedi will likely start at right tackle, while Jenkins will likely start at left tackle.

As for offseason losses, the Bears released former left tackle Charles Leno Jr. and corner Kyle Fuller. Both players are talented, but Leno should be easier to replace given Jenkins' selection in the draft. Desmond Trufant was signed to help replace Fuller, but he is a better player than Trufant at this point in their respective careers.

All in all, the Bears offseason will come down to one big question: Can Justin Fields live up to the hype? If he can, then the offseason was a success no matter what happens during the season. However, if Fields doesn't reach his full potential, then the Bears will be in trouble for years to come.

Bears training camp predictions: Position battles to watch

The most intriguing position battle to watch at Bears' training camp is clearly the quarterback position. Almost assuredly, most fans will want to see Fields on the field as quickly as possible. But if he struggles in training camp, it won't be the worst thing in the world to start Dalton until Fields is ready to play.

Even if Dalton were to start the 2021 season for the Bears, there's very little doubt that by the end of the year Fields will be the starting quarterback.

If there's one weak spot on the Bears defense, it's the cornerback position. Second-year corner Jaylon Johnson is set to be the Bears' number one, but the number two corner spot along with the slot corner position remains up for grabs.

Oh my goodness Jaylon Johnson #Bears pic.twitter.com/n5sRBywaBZ

— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) November 30, 2020

Veteran Trufant is the front runner for the number two corner spot, but he's injury-prone and of late his form on the field has dipped.

The problem is there isn't great depth behind Trufant. Teez Tabor, Artie Burns and Kindle Vildor round out the depth chart. There isn't a lot of proven NFL talent on that list. The Bears could look to sign a veteran free agent to help provide some more competition at the corner spot in training camp.

The situation at slot corner isn't much better. Duke Shelley looks to have the inside track at the starting gig, but rookie Thomas Graham Jr. will compete for the job as well. Graham, a sixth-round selection, has been categorized by some as one of the steals of the draft. If he quickly acclimates to the Bears defense in training camp, it wouldn't be shocking to see the rookie earn himself the starting job.