Rookie Dillon Thieneman draws high praise from Bears veteran

Dillon Thieneman is entering his rookie season with the Chicago Bears. However, he’s already receiving praise from the coaching staff and his veteran teammates, including T.J. Edwards.

The safety was drafted at No. 25 overall and will be tasked to play a big role to start his pro career. Injuries to the secondary have forced head coach Ben Johnson to rely heavily on their first-year players. Along with Malik Muhammad, Thieneman will likely participate in more snaps than the team initially planned.

Coby Bryant is out for the next four to six months, but Thieneman showed in college that he’s ready for the NFL’s bright lights. He earned first-team All-American honors last year with the Oregon Ducks after recording 96 combined tackles and two interceptions.

Chicago Bears Ryan Poles Dillon Thieneman — Oregon Ducks defensive back Dillon Thieneman is selected by the Chicago Bears as the number 25 pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium.

T.J. Edwards speaks highly of Dillon Thieneman

Edwards praised Thieneman’s skill set and work ethic. The linebacker also highlighted his physicality, seeing him and Muhammad contributing heavily to the Bears in 2026.

“Dillon’s been a sponge, man, a guy who came in and just worked,” Edwards said. “He’s got all the tools and physical traits they talked about coming out, and you can see his speed and physicality. Same with Malik, you can tell he likes to be around the football and makes plays when they come to him. Now it’s about getting everyone on the same page, seeing and saying the right things, but they’re progressing like we need them to.”

Edwards joined Chicago in 2023. He previously spent the first four years of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. The 30-year-old has established himself as a reliable player at his position despite going undrafted in 2019.

The Bears will face the Tennessee Titans on Saturday to wrap up their preseason schedule. They won their first assignment versus the Cleveland Browns before losing last week to the Cincinnati Bengals. The NFL has set their first game of the regular season for Sept. 13 against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium.