The Bears may have uncovered a secret rookie weapon during preseason Week 1 to solve an age-old depth problem in Chicago
He had a strong NFL debut.
As the Chicago Bears enter into this new era under head coach Ben Johnson, things have already looked vastly different for this team after just one preseason game.
Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, the Bears played with a new style of intensity and aggressiveness we haven’t seen from this team in a long time, even if the final 24-24 score wasn’t ideal.
While the aggressiveness was noteworthy, one key area that impressed me the most from the preseason opener was the play of the offensive line, particularly from the depth players.
Over the last few seasons, the Bears have struggled to find adequate depth on the offensive line, including on the starting five. After bringing in Johnson earlier this year, the Bears made it a point to finally address and overhaul the unit. The dividends showed up on Sunday.
Four of the five starters on the offensive line did not play the preseason opener in Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson. Thus opening the door for some potential depth options to shine.
Nine different offensive linemen recorded snaps against the Dolphins and combined to allow 11 pressures and two sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. Three in particular did not allow a single pressure while playing 25+ pass blocking snaps in Luke Newman, Theo Benedet, and Joshua Miles.
Luke Newman impresses in preseason opener
Newman is the one who really impressed the most out of the group, proving he could be a potential secret weapon for the offense in his NFL debut. Among all rookie OL this weekend, Newman was one of three players to play 30+ pass blocking snaps and not give up a single pressure, and it’s even more impressive considering he did so at two different positions.
During Sunday’s game, the team’s sixth-round pick played 53 total offensive snaps. Newman started the game at left guard and played 19 snaps at the position before moving over to right guard and playing another 34 snaps. He also added four more snaps on special teams. After the game, head coach Ben Johnson did note that Newman suffered a concussion, which hopefully won’t set him back.
That level of versatility is exactly what moved the Bears toward drafting him in the sixth-round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Not only can he clearly play both guard positions, Newman shared earlier in the offseason that his primary focus has been at learning the center position as well.
The team’s unofficial depth chart listed Newman as Thuney’s immediate backup at left guard but he showed on Sunday he can offer much more to the team if his number ever gets called. He’s the exact type of player this team has been looking for to provide some quality depth up-front.
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