The Chicago Bears’ first padded practice of training camp came with an unfortunate twist Monday morning when starting safety Coby Bryant suffered a left knee injury during a competitive period and left the practice field. Bryant was driven to the building on a cart and did not return. He is expected to be out eight to 10 weeks.For a defense already missing cornerback Kyler Gordon (calf) and facing significant outside scrutiny regarding the strength of its pass rush, this was far from a welcome development.“Sucks to see,” tight end Colston Loveland said.Still, the Bears must press on. And with the pads coming on this week, the opportunity for coaches to evaluate this group’s identity has arrived. Here’s a snapshot review of what we saw and heard during Monday’s practice and interviews.All eyes are on Caleb Williams entering Year 2 under Ben JohnsonKevin FishbainPlayer in the spotlightCornerback Tyrique Stevenson, while aware of what could be at stake for him this year, has put very little attention on the contract season he is entering.“Honestly,” Stevenson said Monday, “I’m not like a real down-the-road thinker. … My goal is to be the best corner on this team aside from Jaylon Johnson and just help this team win.“I feel like with me doing that and being a selfless guy for this team, everything will work itself out.”Stevenson’s talent has rarely been in question since he joined the Bears as a second-round pick out of Miami in 2023. His athleticism and physicality have always been standout traits, and his fearless nature in coverage has also been a plus. But two words frequently show up on the “needs improvement” section of Stevenson’s progress reports: consistency and focus.That was again part of coach Ben Johnson’s evaluation Monday.“It’s really the focus level of being in the building, paying attention in meetings and continuing to apply that on the field throughout a two-plus-hour practice,” Johnson said. “I think we’ve seen strides there. It’s certainly improving and continuing to improve. He knows it (is a point of emphasis). So we’re pretty happy with where he’s at.”Stevenson’s take on his occasional focus lapses?“It’s something I need to improve,” he said. “I feel like every day you come in here — and with life in general — you just find something to improve. This just happens to be something where I have to get my game up so they feel like it’s where they need it to be.”Stevenson is leaning on Bears defensive backs coach Al Harris as he continues his growth and is hopeful that Harris’ well-documented track record of elevating interception totals for his players can pay dividends.“He’s big on interceptions,” Stevenson said, “and I’m big on ‘I need ’em.’ We connect on that.”Pressing questionIs the hype for receiver Luther Burden III still legit?Rarely a day goes by at Halas Hall anymore where Burden’s ongoing breakthrough isn’t referenced in some capacity. The second-year receiver has drawn glowing reviews recently from Johnson, from quarterback Caleb Williams, from Loveland, his draft classmate.On Monday, it was Stevenson dropping in a testimonial after getting beat on a Williams-to-Burden long ball during a one-on-one period in practice.“Perfect throw beats perfect coverage every time,” Stevenson said.Burden stood and flexed after making that impressive catch in tight coverage. A moment later, Stevenson approached him on the sideline and offered a congratulatory low-five.“He’ll give you everything,” Stevenson said after practice. “If you’re (playing) too high and he wants to get under, he’ll get up under. And now you’re chasing him across the field. If you’re too low, he’ll take the top off.“Luther, to me, is a complete receiver. And he’s aggressive to the ball.”Keep an eye on …The Bears’ desire to lean into more three-tight-end sets as a means of creating favorable matchups is well known. That should also provide some teeth to a rushing attack that again has a chance to be among the league’s best.Right guard Jonah Jackson noted Monday that the Bears’ “13 personnel” tab in the playbook features some of the offensive line’s “favorite downhill type of plays.”“A lot of things are built off double teams and combos,” Jackson added. “So the more combos and double teams that are built across the line, it’s less one-on-one. And you really get to hammer the D-line.”In Johnson’s first season, the Bears led the NFC with a per-game rushing average of 144.5 yards. During Johnson’s three seasons calling plays in Detroit, the Lions ranked 11th, fifth and sixth in the NFL in rushing offense.Johnson’s system has also produced a different 1,000-yard rusher in each of the past four seasons — Jamaal Williams (2022), David Montgomery (2023), Jahmyr Gibbs (2024) and D’Andre Swift (2025).Quote of noteJohnson continues praising Loveland, noting Monday that the coaching staff has put significant volume on the second-year tight end’s plate as they expand his role in the offense.“He knows pretty much every spot,” Johnson said. “He’s looking at the receiver routes. And it’s amazing to me when you go into a special teams meeting and see him taking notes and hear him asking questions about special teams units that he’s not likely to be on. It says a lot about who he is. He’s just a sponge right now. He wants all the information. He knows all this knowledge is going to make him a better player and that he’s going to continue to play faster.”Quick hits— Running back Kyle Monangai worked back into the early parts of Monday’s practice after missing the Bears’ previous three practices with what Ben Johnson described as a minor “soft-tissue deal.” “We’re taking it day by day right now,” Johnson said before Monday’s practice. “We’re working through it. He’s working hard with his rehab, and it should be on the shorter side here.” Monangai did not take any reps during 11-on-11 periods.— Johnson said Monday it is “to be determined” just how much his starters will play during the team’s preseason games this month. The Bears will host the Browns on Aug. 16 at Soldier Field before trips to play the Bengals and Titans the following two Saturdays. The trips to Cincinnati and Nashville will also feature joint practices two days ahead of the game.— The Bears, per Johnson, will be back in pads for Tuesday morning’s practice, will have a day in shells on Wednesday and then another padded practice before the next camp off day on Friday.