Bears have five words for rookie Dillon Thieneman after career first

The Chicago Bears already have a lot of trust in Dillon Thieneman ahead of his rookie season. They used their No. 25 in this year’s draft to select him and address their need at safety. The 22-year-old has been impressive at training camp and registered a career first during a practice session.

Thieneman emerged as one of the best prospects at his position. He enjoyed a strong collegiate campaign between Purdue and Oregon. The Indiana native amassed 96 combined tackles last year, consisting of 52 assisted and 44 solo efforts. His strong performances earned him first-team All-American.

Chicago suffered a huge setback as Coby Bryant sustained a knee injury and will out for 8-10 weeks. Thieneman will have a chance to prove his worth immediately and step up in the 2026 Super Bowl champion’s absence.

May 8, 2026; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) speaks during Rookie Minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Bears react to Dillon Thieneman’s first training camp interception

Thieneman recorded his first training camp interception on Saturday. It was the perfect birthday performance for him, and the team dropped a five-word reaction in the caption of their post.

“ Go Dillon, it’s ya birthday!” the Bears wrote.

Go Dillon, it’s ya birthday! pic.twitter.com/0mvsmwmfZB

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 8, 2026

Chicago general manager Ryan Poles and the front office added more depth to the secondary. The team announced on Friday that it signed veteran safety Xavier Woods in light of Bryant’s injury. He has He has 15 career interceptions and will give Thieneman another seasoned defensive back he can learn from.

Bryant could return as early as Week 3 or 4, but Thieneman will have to speed up his development. His route reading and athleticism will be relied upon heavily as the Bears navigate the early part of the season without their big offseason signing. Thieneman appears up to the task and if could carve out a bigger role if he lives up to expectations. Chicago will open its regular season on Sept. 13 against the Carolina Panthers.