Bears rookie center Logan Jones reveals why he feels ready for Ben Johnson’s biggest challenge
The Chicago Bears start training camp in just a few days and one of the biggest stories will be how quickly rookie center Logan Jones can adjust to life in the NFL and to head coach Ben Johnson’s offense.
The Chicago Bears are just a few days away from the start of training camp with the rookies set to report back to the team facilities on July 25.
One of the biggest storylines at Bears’ training camp this season actually centers around a rookie, second-round center Logan Jones. The former Iowa standout was the first center selected in the 2026 NFL Draft and will be competing for the starting job throughout camp against veteran center Garrett Bradbury.
Since arriving to the team in April, Jones has already impressed the staff to the point that head coach Ben Johnson said the ball is in Jones’ court to challenge for the starting position.
“The mental is top notch,” Johnson explained. “We saw all the traits that we’re looking for, whether it’s the run game or in pass-pro, and we brought him in for a top 30, and I think that’s when it really solidified it for us that ‘yeah, he’s got the makeup.’ The guys at Iowa were raving about him, and then just the next level in terms of the football IQ as well. So, I think none of us have any qualms that he’ll be able to download the information and, once again, it’s just another spot that we’ll have high level competition at.”
Logan Jones explains the similarities between Iowa and the Bears, and how it’s made his NFL transition easier
Earlier this week, Jones went on the Bears Etc. podcast and shared more about how his time with the Iowa program prepared him going into his first NFL training camp.
“Honestly, it’s very familiar,” Jones told Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer. “I think Coach (Kirk) Ferentz ran Iowa like an NFL organization. The way we did things there, like I come here and it’s the same exact thing. Which is cool with the amount of work we’re putting in and everything. It’s new faces, new playbook, and things like that. So, that can be very challenging, but the people here have been great… It’s been a lot of work, I think more mentally than physically.”
That last part is the main thing to pay attention to when Jones returns for the start of training camp and starts getting thrown into this center competition. Johnson’s offense puts a lot on the plate of the center and there’s a lot of information you need to know flawlessly to play that position.
“After talking to the coaches, it feels like there’s a little bit more on the center’s plate here, which is exciting—the terminology and learning all that,” Jones said back in April. “Being in a new setting, meeting new guys, being a center you have to be able to go up there, make a call and be confident; have the guys around you trust you. That’s something you have to earn. It’s like being a freshman again. You have to come in and earn the trust of everybody. It will be fun. I’m looking forward to it.”
Training camp is going to be a whole different animal compared to the offseason program
Bears players learned firsthand how taxing Ben Johnson’s training camp will be from a mental and physical standpoint. Before taking off for summer break, the returning veterans were talking about last year’s training camp like a horror story around a campfire.
For the incoming rookies, it’s going to be even more of a challenging process, especially for rookies like Jones looking to claim a starting spot. You’re going to have to earn it, regardless of your draft status.
“Coach Johnson is very intense and he wants to win, you can just see that in the way we go about practice and he has a high standard for this team,” Jones explained. “He’s an offensive guy too, so he has a high standard for the offense, the execution, and doing the little things right.”
One of the biggest things returning for camp is how familiar Jones has become with the offense, both the terminology and alignments. And again for a center in this offense, it’s not just about knowing your responsibilities but being able to get the other four offensive lineman on the same page as well.
“It was definitely difficult at first,” Jones admitted. “But, I’m starting to become a little more familiar with it. The calls, a lot of it is honestly kind of the same, there’s just a little bit more now. Just a little more detailed than I’d say we had at Iowa. From fundamentals, aiming points, we have small targets so that when we miss, we miss small. That’s kind of what Coach (Dan) Roushar says. I think that’s the biggest thing. But, the plays, there’s a whole lot of them too.”
The faster Jones can grasp those little details and the vast playbook, the faster he can start working to compete for the starting job. Time will tell how far along he actually is once camp officially opens next week.