Early returns from two promising Bears rookies are already lighting a fire under two veterans with uncertain futures at training camp
The Chicago Bears have to rookie standouts on the defensive line that are getting harder to ignore, and it’ll set up for some tough decisions if they continue ascending throughout the 2026 season.
The biggest question going into training camp for the Chicago Bears was the state of the defensive line and whether or not the Bears properly addressed the unit after such a subpar showing in 2025.
The one real addition the Bears made long-term was trading up in the sixth-round to select Jordan van den Berg out of Georgia Tech. Usually, you wouldn’t expect much impact from a sixth-round pick, but the athletic defensive tackle is getting harder and harder to ignore out there even in a room full of veteran players. And he’s not alone.
Jordan van den Berg continues to be rising standout at camp, and he’s not the only rookie DT impressing
Over the last few days of practice at training camp, we’ve started to see van den Berg work his way up the depth chart. By the end of last week, van den Berg was taking snaps with the first-team defense and clearly earning the trust of defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
“He plays with great pad level, he can get in a good stance and come off and strike the line of scrimmage, and he’s got some pretty good football instincts and plays extremely hard,” Allen said of van den Berg. “A lot of the things that we saw on the tape at Georgia Tech, we’re seeing a lot of those same athletic qualities show up, and I think that’s what training camp is all about.”
It’s still too early to say that van den Berg will be competing for a starting position, but it is clear that he’s positioning himself in the best position to eventually work towards that goal based on these early returns.
“I think he’s gonna be a hell of a football player,” veteran defensive lineman Neville Gallimore said. “I think he’s growing. His understanding of the game is improving every day. I just love his competitiveness. Great guy for the locker room.”
The same can be said for another highly-athletic rookie the Bears brought in this offseason in undrafted free agent Jayden Loving. While Loving has yet to claw his way up the totem pole at the position like van den Berg has so far, he’s still catching the eye of his veteran teammates.
“I’ve been loving working with him,” Gallimore said of Loving. “He’s been a hard worker since Day 1. Like I say, his athletic profile speaks for itself. He’s continuing to get better every day, and I mean, I don’t think it’s surprised any of us in the room of how far he’s come or how far he can go, but we’re happy to have him. And he’s definitely a big addition to us in the room from a playing standpoint, but also from bringing a good vibe.”
The heat is rising underneath Gervon Dexter Sr. and Grady Jarrett entering 2026 season
Even though van den Berg and Loving continue turning heads, it’s going to take a lot to unseat the two veteran starters on the interior in Gervon Dexter Sr. and Grady Jarrett, not to mention Dayo Odeyingbo who as been kicking inside as well with the first-team unit.
However, the future is uncertain for Dexter and Jarrett after the 2026 season. For Dexter, the former second-round pick is entering into the final year of his contract and still hasn’t delivered in the way the Bears have hoped despite the amount of starting opportunities he’s received. If he wants to stick around in Chicago, he’s going to have to really earn it.
“Number one, I think he’s gotten better,” Allen said of Dexter. “I see more consistency, I see more ability to come off and strike the line of scrimmage. I think with any of these guys, regardless of whether, contract year, no contract year, you want to go out there and see guys compete and perform at a high level. And consistently. And I think that’s what we’re looking for in him and everybody else.”
As for Jarrett, the veteran is entering his 12th year in the NFL and coming off a season that didn’t live up to the contract the Bears signed him to. In Jarrett’s defense, he was dealing with a frustrating knee issue for the majority of the year, one that forced him to miss three games during the regular season.
“I’m really focusing on being my best self, whether it’s from a strength and conditioning standpoint, a health standpoint or a mindset standpoint,” Jarrett said. “I’m making myself uncomfortable, getting back to the basics and pushing myself to be my best self. That was my whole focus in the six weeks from the spring.”
After this season, though, Jarrett has no more guaranteed money remaining on his contract with a $17.5 cap hit in 2027. A prime cut candidate for the team if he isn’t able to show improved play with better health.
In the meantime, the two rookies are hungry for an opportunity and doing everything they can to earn more food on their plates in camp. We’ll see how this situation unfolds throughout the season and the impact it will have on the team’s future DT plans.
