The Chicago Bears were back at Halas Hall for their 14th practice of training camp on Thursday, where they helped a lighter practice ahead of Saturday's preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns.
There wasn't a whole lot that transpired during Thursday's light practice, which is to be expected ahead of live game action in a couple of days. But there were some notable injury updates and position battle nuggets that should make things interesting heading into preseason. Also, it was backup quarterbacks Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum making plays with under-the-radar receivers that headlined this workout.
Let's recap Day 14 of Bears training camp:
Takeaways
- Kiran Amegadjie took starting reps, Braxton Jones returns: The Bears' left tackle competition is far from over heading into the first preseason game, where it'll be former third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie getting the start with former first-round pick Jedrick Wills Jr. rotating in throughout the game. So it wasn't a huge surprise that Amegadjie took the starting reps with the first-team offense at left tackle on Thursday. The bigger news is that Braxton Jones, the frontrunner in the competition, return to practice on Thursday, where he went through individual work. This was the first time he's practiced since Aug. 6. It certainly makes things interesting heading into next week's practices.
- Malik Muhammad worked outside opposite Jaylon Johnson: Rookie cornerback Malik Muhammad has had plenty of opportunities to work with the starting defense during training camp, due in large part to the influx of injuries but also because of his performance. Muhammad has been getting first-team reps at nickel cornerback with Kyler Gordon still on the physically unable to perform list and with injuries to Cam Lewis and Jaylon Jones. But with Tyrique Stevenson not spotted at practice, Muhammad finally got a chance to line up outside opposite Jaylon Johnson with the starting defense, according to Chris Kwiecinski. The preseason will provide yet another opportunity for the fourth-round pick to make an impression.
- Kaden Davis continues to shine with Tyson Bagent: Through the first two weeks of training camp, wide receiver Kaden Davis has been the preseason darling for the Bears. He's made our takeaways and studs list multiple times as he continues to make plays in practice, and he's making a strong push for a roster spot. Thursday's practice was no different as Davis' connection with backup quarterback Tyson Bagent once again shined. According to Chris Kwiecinski, Bagent hit Davis on the first play of a situational drill for a 72-yard touchdown. Expect to see plenty of that connection on Saturday against the Browns.
- Play of the day: Case Keenum connects with Ray-Ray McCloud: The Bears signed veteran wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud earlier this week, and he made an instant impact with the third-team offense during Thursday's practice. McCloud had the play of the day from backup quarterback Case Keenum. According to Zack Pearson, Keenum connected with McCloud in stride for a long touchdown where the veteran wideout got behind the defense. According to Josh Buckhalter, McCloud showcased his speed on the score. -- Alyssa Barbieri
Studs
- -- Brendan Sugrue
Injury updates
There was some good news on the injury front with the returns of left tackle Braxton Jones, defensive back Cam Lewis and linebacker D'Marco Jackson on Thursday. Jones only participated in individual drills as he ramps up. According to Zack Pearson, here are the players who didn't practice Thursday (not including players on PUP): cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, William Wright, cornerback Terell Smith, cornerback Jaylon Jones, linebacker Tony Fields, offensive lineman Luke Newman, left tackle Braxton Jones receiver Zavion Thomas, defensive tackle Montez Sweat, receiver Luther Burden and safety Coby Bryant.
Press conferences (Ben Johnson, Kevin Warren, George McCaskey)
What's next
The Bears have an off day on Friday before their preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday at Noon CT. Stay tuned for updates here on Bears Wire.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Recapping Day 13 of Chicago Bears training camp