Chicago Bears release first depth chart of Ben Johnson era

Outside of some positions, Bears fans must take the first depth chart with a grain of salt. It’s unofficial after all. Following Chicago’s joint practices and preseason games, there will surely be changes as Johnson figures out how to put all the pieces together. Still, the Bears’ opening depth chart at least gives fans an idea of where Johnson’s head is at.

The head coach has made it clear how important he views joint practices to be, scheduling two in his debut season. Heading into their first preseason matchup against the Miami Dolphins, the Bears’ first depth chart should provide some extra motivation to any player on the roster looking to make an impact.

At the same time, Johnson is emphasizing the unofficial aspect of their depth chart. He is hoping it breeds competition, but he wants his team to understand that there’s still a long way to go until Week 1, via the team’s Tuesday press conference.

“Training camp is about competition,” Johnson said. “We’re trying to earn the right for the 53, we’re trying to earn a role. Defensively we don’t know who will be up for certain packages going into Week 1. Offensively, there’s a lot of battles going on. The message to the players was don’t look too far into the depth chart, particularly at this point in training camp.”

Chicago Bears depth chart reveals tight end twist 

The first depth chart is sure to be analyzed fully until a new one is revealed. But on first glance, perhaps the most noticeable inclusion is that both Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland are listed as starters. Kmet holds the TE1 role over Loveland, but the rookie has his own starting job on the offense rather than being behind the veteran.

Johnson was known to run plenty of 12 personnel during his time with the Detroit Lions. Both Kmet and Loveland are sure to share to field quite often as Johnson introduces his offense in Chicago. The first depth chart draws more questions on exactly how they’ll be used, but clearly the Bears head coach has big plans in mind for both.

As the season draws closer, perhaps Johnson narrows down the field. He listed five starting defensive linemen which seems unfeasible, meaning eventually the depth chart will need to be crunched down. But even if/when that depth chart realignment comes for Kmet and Loveland, it won’t change much. Johnson is expecting both of them to be key offensive weapons for quarterback Caleb Williams and help re-define the Bears’ offense.