Bears rookie Dillon Thieneman reacts to Ben Johnson’s decision

Dillon Thieneman impressed Ben Johnson in his first NFL regular-season game on Sunday. The Chicago Bears head coach gave him a lot of playing, and he repaid the coaching staff’s trust. The rookie safety reacted to Johnson’s decision after the game on his Instagram account.

Thieneman recorded eight tackles, including six solo efforts, along with one pass deflection and one quarterback pressure in the 59-37 win. He proved that he belongs in the league and that Chicago made the right decision to draft him at No. 25 overall. The 22-year-old showed no fear in defending the Carolina Panthers’ established stars, making his presence felt on the defensive end.

He emerged as one of the best players at his position during his collegiate career. Thieneman played for the Oregon Ducks last year and earned first-team All-American honors. The Indiana native amassed 96 combined tackles consisting of 44 solo and 52 assisted efforts.

New Chicago Bears rookie Dillon Thieneman meets with the media at the 2026 NFL Combine.

Chicago Bears: Dillon Thieneman receives postgame honor from Ben Johnson

Thieneman received the defensive game ball from Johnson after the game. His brother, Jake, posted an Instagram story about it and expressed pride about his performance. Dillon reposted it on his account without a caption.

“10 tackles & defensive game ball in NFL debut,” Jake wrote.

Jake also played for the Purdue Boilermakers, where Dillon stared his college career. He went undrafted in 2019 but had stints with the New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers. However, he did not make the active roster.

Meanwhile, Dillon and the Bears will return to action on Sunday. They will play their home opener at Soldier Field versus the Minnesota Vikings, which also won its first game of the season. Chicago will continue its three-game homestand with matchups with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets before two away assignments. The team will clash with its rivals, the Green Bay Packers, in Week 5, and the Atlanta Falcons the following week.