The Chicago Bears avoided potential scares during a physical and spirited practice Thursday morning at Halas Hall, but they didn't come away unscathed.
Left tackle Braxton Jones (knee) and defensive end Montez Sweat (undisclosed) both exited practice early with an athletic trainer, but the belief is neither veteran suffered a serious injury.
Defensive backs Gervarrius Owens and Dallis Flowers both suffered much more serious injuries. Owens had to be carted off the field with a left leg injury, and Flowers needed help limping off with a right leg injury.
On Friday afternoon, the team placed Flowers on injured reserve and signed veteran safety Xavier Woods. Flowers, an Oak Park-River Forest graduate, spent most of last season on the practice squad and appeared in one regular-season game.
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Woods, 31, is entering his 10th season. He started 10 games for the Tennessee Titans in 2025 and has made 121 starts. The Bears have been working without Coby Bryant after the safety suffered a knee injury that will sideline him into the regular season. Owens' status is not known, but the team didn't make a roster move involving him Friday.
Jones, who had received the vast majority of snaps with the starters during the week before the injury, is considered day to day. Kiran Amegadjie replaced him Thursday. How the Bears will handle reps Saturday and Sunday will be interesting. Veteran Jedrick Wills Jr. has been sprinkled in with the first unit, and it could be an opportunity for him to get more runway.
Coach Ben Johnson said before Thursday's practice that the process of identifying the starting left tackle was advancing.
"We're hoping, you know, maybe middle of next week we'll have a lot of clarity there," Johnson said. "We're going to continue to roll guys through. Kiran's certainly taking some reps over there. Jedrick, Theo (Benedet)'s in the mix. I mean, this is not a done deal by any stretch of the imagination. We're going to continue to cycle guys through."
It's yet to be known if Jones' minor setback will push back that timeline, but Johnson made it clear he's not going to rush to judgment.
"We'll go as long as we need to," he said. "Even if that means into the season. We'll do whatever it takes."
Overall, the eighth practice of training camp was one of the better sessions the team has had with bright spots on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Caleb Williams directed a touchdown drive in an end-of-game period to wrap things up, firing a dart to Luther Burden III in the back of the end zone for a score.
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Multiple defensive players stood out at different points. Defensive end Austin Booker had a tackle for a loss in the backfield, and rookie tackle Jordan van den Berg shined in multiple drills. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson intercepted a pass intended for Rome Odunze after the wide receiver slipped.
The Bears are off Friday and will return to the practice field at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.
