The Bears’ Most Surprising Performances in Training Camp and Preseason

Over the past few weeks, a running joke between Bears players and reporters at Halas Hall has been amusing references to the length of training camp.

Cole Kmet and several others jokingly touched on this topic.

It’s been a long, long time since they entered Halas Hall on July 19, and the preseason ends Thursday night with more practices to come until Aug. 27. The final preseason game means nothing more than possibly setting up a few roster spots.

The training camp is a constant attempt to improve, but also a fight for a job.

This lengthy process has produced some players who were not necessarily expected to play important roles or even compete for a position.

Here are the surprises of the Bears’ training camp and preseason, and in some cases, it could mean playing for the team in the regular season. In some cases, they put up a good fight and won’t make the final cut.

1. WR Dante Pettis

Pettis was just an average receiver in 2022, but then again, the offense itself wasn’t great. He was a fair returner, at least confident. Then came a neck injury against the Colts in the preseason and IR all of last year.

He had a bit of a slow start to this training camp, but once the preseason got underway he was racing down the final stretch like a Kentucky Derby horse.

He leads the Bears with 98 receiving yards on five receptions. Pro Football Focus has given Pettis a 91.1 receiving grade this preseason when lining up in the slot, and he has five first-time catches for two touchdowns. He has a 155.3 passer rating when facing outside the slot. His 80.3 overall offensive rating is the third-highest on the Bears so far among all wide receivers, linebackers and linebackers. Anyone competing with him has to be behind the times, and that doesn’t even include the special teams benefits he provides as a punt returner. When Pettis signed in the offseason to return, it seemed like the Bears were just trying to make sure they had a core player in case they couldn’t find a return man. Pettis was anything but the last option.

2. DE Daniel Hardy

He leads the team in sacks with 3 1/2, but he hasn’t been a one-dimensional player. He also has the fourth-highest PFF grade for run-stopping defense.

“His production has been really good in practice,” defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. “You’ve seen flashes of it, I’ve seen flashes of it before as we’ve gone through the offseason and all through training camp. And he’s finding a way to incorporate that into the preseason games. He’s finding a way to win, to do it with the urgency that we need when we’re attacking four guys. And he’s in incredible shape. His conditioning is outstanding.”

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3. G Bill Murray

The team, which has been plagued by injuries at right guard throughout camp, has taken a close look at Murray, who has 37 pass blockings and 30 run blockings and Pro Football Focus rates him at 75.8, which is higher than any offensive lineman except for Teven Jenkins and quarterback Aviante Collins, who has 20 fewer reps. Murray was on the practice squad last year and no one would have wondered if he would make the team, but he’s positioning himself to surprise select players and other free agents they’ve signed.

4. Attacker Brenden Bates

Their undrafted free agent is trying to win the fourth tight end spot, if there is one. It wasn’t easy against veteran returners Stephen Carlson and Tommy Sweeney, and both have more catches than he does, but he’s held his own, and only Pettis has more receiving yards than Bates (86). No tight end is within 10 yards of him. PFF loves his game, giving him the second-highest offensive grade on the team in 49 snaps. He wasn’t just a receiver, either. His 68.8 run-blocking grade is the highest of any tight end, even higher than Cole Kmet’s (65.3).

5. C. Doug Kramer

The Bears ran the ball very well at the end of the last two preseason games when they had the lead. Kramer’s run-blocking was part of that, according to PFF grades. Only Collins, Jenkins and Ja’Tyre Carter have higher PFF run-blocking grades, but Kramer also blocked passes well. He had 26 pass-blocking reps and 28 run-blocking reps. He took advantage of the reps he had when Ryan Bates was on the bench.

6. DE Khalid Kareem

While fifth-round pick Austin Booker was expected to make an impact as a pass rusher, Kareem has drawn attention for his overall improvement. He was on the practice squad and the roster last year. He has a sack and nine tackles, as well as a hurry and a pass deflection. Kareem’s PFF overall defensive grade of 83.9 is the second-highest among Bears defensive players, and he’s played more snaps than all but two other defensive players. One surefire way to win over coach Matt Eberflus is to stop the run. PFF gave him the highest run-stopping grade of any Bears defensive player in the preseason.

7. DT Byron Cowart

When they signed him, he seemed like an insurance policy in case something happened to one of the two young defensive quarterbacks. That’s what happened, because Zacch Pickens is currently injured. But Cowart has really played in all aspects of the defense from his spot on the line. He has the Bears’ highest PFF defensive grade and the highest grade as a pass rusher. They’ve also allowed him to get a lot of quarterback coverage, taking 28 snaps, and he’s had 16 snaps in run defense. Cowart has a sack, a rush, five tackles and a forced fumble.

8. C.B. Reddy Steward

His real name is Reddrick, and Matt Eberflus made sure to let everyone know on HBO’s Hard Knocks that the former Troy cornerback came to the Bears with his nickname intact. Eberflus usually anoints players with nicknames. Steward made an immediate impact in practice, then seemed to falter against the Bills, but came back stronger against the Bengals. He leads the team with 10 tackles and three assists, mostly from the slot.

9. Center Back Micah Baskerville

The pick-6 he had against the Bills was enough to catch Matt Eberflus’ attention, and without the injured Noah Sewell, he’s certainly made progress. But his game goes beyond the pick and TD return. He has the highest PFF grade on the team (86.6) for a linebacker who’s only 6-foot-1, 224 pounds. He could already earn a roster spot if he were a more confident tackler, as PFF grades his tackle much lower on the team.

10. S Tarvarius Moore

After injuries derailed his career in San Francisco, there was no way to know what to expect as he tried to get back on track, but he had a solid preseason. He and backup safety Quindell Johnson have the same defensive grade from PFF and are tied for fifth overall (79.9). Moore, though, was rated the better tackler by a whisker.

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