A new round of OTAs opens on Wednesday. For players running it back for another year with the Chicago Bears, it means a return to Halas Hall and a reunion with some familiar faces for a team trying to climb back to the top of the NFC North standings and move deeper into the postseason. But for players who are entering their first year with the team, OTAs can mean a little more.
Sources: The #Bears are signing former Packers and Giants safety Anthony Johnson Jr.A former 7th-round pick, Johnson has 29 career tackles and an INT, but missed last season due to an injury. He's now healthy and ready to go. https://t.co/mGRyLq96jz pic.twitter.com/CXu8x6FRku- Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 21, 2026
Perhaps help from a Pro Bowl left tackle could help solve the Chicago Bears' biggest offensive line concern going into the 2026 NFL season. Terron Armstead, a retired NFL offensive lineman with a Pro Bowl pedigree, says he has been working with Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet - two of the three known combatants set to do battle for the opportunity to protect quarterback Caleb Williams' blindside in Week 1.
"We're super close. His story is really awesome," Jones said. "Went to Dordt, a really small school, as a tight end, fullback, and then transferred in, was a fullback for most of the time. Then switched over to tight end. The way he goes about his business - my favorite thing about him is the way he loves to block, get his nose in there, get dirty, and we liked to run the ball here too, so it kind of fits."
The committee members agreed that these 2 sites are the only viable options and expressed a need to move the process forward 'expeditiously.' There was no vote taken but the Stadium Committee will meet again within 2 weeks.
The bill spearheaded by state Rep. Kam Buckner of Chicago, who has led House Democrats' stadium negotiations, passed 78-32. Only a few Democrats opposed the measure, while some Republicans voted for the plan.
