The Chicago Bears returned to the practice field at Halas Hall for their third practice of training camp, which marked the second open practice for fans.

It was another non-padded practice before pads come on next week. But there was plenty of action at Halas Hall, including a solid day for the team’s top rookies Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker, as well as some shake-up on the offensive line due to injuries.

There was plenty to digest from practice and press conferences with head coach Matt Eberflus, running back David Montgomery, safety Jaquan Brisker, wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. and defensive end Trevis Gipson.

Following Friday’s practice, here’s a look at what we learned from the third day of Bears training camp:

It was a rough start for quarterback Justin Fields during Friday’s practice, who tossed two interceptions during team drills. At the start of 11-on-11 drills, Fields was intercepted by rookie cornerback Kyler Gordon in the red zone. Fields’ pass to wide receiver Darnell Mooney was a little behind him and went off his hand, and Gordon was there to make the play. Later on during team drills, it was safety Jaquan Brisker who jumped a route and picked off Fields on a pass intended for tight end Cole Kmet.

Running back David Montgomery said that the interceptions weren’t a big deal to Fields as he always has a next-play mentality. And it showed in how he bounced back in a big way during the rest of practice. Shortly after that interception to Brisker, Fields responded with a touchdown to Mooney in the corner of the end zone. Fields finished 7-on-7 drills with 10 straight completions, including touchdowns to Mooney and wide receiver N’Keal Harry.

Mistakes are going to happen as Fields learns a new offense and builds chemistry with his new weapons. But it’s all about how he responds, which he did in a big way on Friday.

The Bears top rookies cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker have been making plays since being drafted. But they showed out in a big way during Friday’s practice.

Gordon and Brisker each had an interception of quarterback Justin Fields during 11-on-11 drills. Head coach Matt Eberflus described Gordon and Brisker as “ballhawks,” and it’s been on display since they joined the team.

Gordon picked off Fields to start team drills. The ball was a little behind wide receiver Darnell Mooney, and it went off his hand and Gordon made the play.

Later on, it was Brisker coming away with an interception on Fields. Brisker showcased his instincts when he jumped a route and picked off a pass intended for tight end Cole Kmet.

“Once (Gordon) got the first one I was like, I’ve got to get one now,” Brisker said.

Brisker said there’s competition not just between him and Gordon but with everyone in the defensive backs room when it comes to getting takeaways. And if Brisker has any say, he’s going to come out on top.

“I’m definitely trying to be the takeaway king,” Brisker said.

The Bears will be without center Lucas Patrick for the foreseeable future after head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed Patrick suffered a right hand injury during Thursday’s practice. Eberflus said Patrick will miss some time, but there’s no timetable for his return.

According to multiple reports, Patrick broke his right thumb. But the good news is Patrick should be ready by the start of the regular season. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune and Jason Lieser of the Sun-Times believe Patrick should be back before Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers.

With Patrick sidelined, it was sixth-round rookie Doug Kramer starting at center during practice. We’ll see if that trend continues or if perhaps Sam Mustipher kicks inside.

Teven Jenkins was noticeably absent during the last two practices of training camp. Head coach Matt Eberflus provided some insight, albeit very cryptic and unclear.

Eberflus explained Jenkins is “working through something with trainers” and “when he’s able to return, he’ll return.” He declined to provide further details — because he doesn’t have to, but also because he  doesn’t want to give any teams a competitive advantage on knowing the injury status of players.

It’s been a rough two years for Jenkins, who missed most of training camp after dealing with a back injury. It eventually required surgery, which held him out for most of his rookie season. Now, Jenkins appears to have suffered another injury — although Eberflus wouldn’t confirm if it actually was an injury.

The Bears’ rookie offensive linemen were thrown into the fire during Friday’s practice. Chicago had four rookies starting on the offensive line at times, including Braxton Jones at left tackle, Zachary Thomas at left guard, Doug Kramer at center and Ja’Tyre Carter at right guard. Larry Borom was at right tackle.

That offensive line combination struggled during the first 11-on-11 period, giving up several pressures and Thomas got beat by defensive tackle Justin Jones for what would’ve been a sack.

OL combination of Jones, Thomas, Kramer, Carter and Borom struggling in 11 on 11. A few pressures given up. #Bears.

— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) July 29, 2022

Patrick and Jenkins are sidelined with injuries while Cody Whitehair had a veteran rest day. Meanwhile, veterans Riley Reiff and Michael Schofield continue to get up to speed after signing with the team earlier this week. But once they’ve completed the ramp-up period, we should see both of them with the first-team offense at left tackle and right guard, respectively.

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Veteran wideout Equanimeous St. Brown might just be the big-bodied receiver the Bears need. Not only does he have the size — at 6-foot-5 — but he showed what he could do in the red zone during Friday’s practice.

St. Brown caught three touchdowns from Fields, including two during one 11-on-11 red zone drill. One of those came over rookie cornerback Kyler Gordon, who’s been impressing this summer.

That’s 3 TDs today for St.Brown https://t.co/dNtGlaNAcq

— The Irish Bears Show (@IrishBearsShow) July 29, 2022

Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said St. Brown “has a little bit of a head start on (other wide receivers) just because he has familiarity with the system.” So far, St. Brown is showing what he can do as a big-bodied receiver in the red zone.

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. figures to be a focal point on offense this season. But the rookie also looks to factor into the team’s plans on special teams. Jones, who runs a 4.31, returned both kickoffs and punts during his collegiate career at USC and Tennessee. While Jones primarily returned kickoffs, he started returning punts last year with the Vols.

Jones has been getting the first reps during punt return drills during the first few practices of camp. He told reporters that he’s comfortable returning both punts and kickoffs.

“My main job is to get the ball back for the offense,” he said.

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

The Bears secondary was one of the worst in the NFL last season, where Cornerback Jaylon Johnson was their only consistent player. Which is exactly why general manager Ryan Poles addressed the secondary with top draft picks Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker, as well as signing some key guys in Tavon Young and Dane Cruikshank in free agency.

When Brisker was asked about expectations for the 2022 season, it’s clear that the defensive backs don’t want a repeat of their horrendous outing from 2021.

“They don’t want what happened last year to happen,” Brisker told reporters.

Takeaways have been a focal point for the defense under the new coaching staff, and the secondary is off to a solid start. Eddie Jackson logged an interception on Thursday before Gordon and Brisker each hauled in a pick on Friday.

One of the storylines that’s unfolded this first week of training camp has been Kyler Gordon rotating between outside and nickel cornerback. Gordon played both positions in college, and he explained why he likes playing the nickel.

Eberflus was asked about Gordon’s usage both outside and in the slot, and he said that was the plan all along.

“We knew it,” Eberflus said. “We knew it all along that he was going to be a flex player.”

Gordon has been impressing during the first three practices, which included an interception of Justin Fields on Friday. Wherever the team ultimately chooses to use him, he’ll certainly be a handful for opposing offenses.

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Defensive end Trevis Gipson is coming off an impressive second year where he stepped in for an injured Khalil Mack and posted a career-best 7.0 sacks. He’s primed for a breakout season, and he’s the favorite to win the starting job over Al-Quadin Muhammad.

Gipson had an impressive practice on Friday, where he “dominated” during one-on-one drills between the defensive line and offensive line.

That concludes today's #Bears practice. I thought the defense won the day, with Trevis Gipson being a key standout in one-on-one drills.

Trevis Gipson dominated DL/OL drills

— Chicago Football Connection (@CFCBears) July 29, 2022

Gipson says he feels lighter, faster, and quicker than last year, which is encouraging for the third-year pro looking to permanently lock down the starting job opposite Robert Quinn.

“I just focus on getting one percent better everyday,” Gipson said.

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