Bears rookie Zavion Thomas needed one play to show why Ben Johnson wanted him

Speed. Lots of it.

Thomas made his NFL preseason debut in Chicago's 24-15 victory over the Tennessee Titans after missing the first two preseason games because of injury. On the Bears' first offensive snap, Tyson Bagent found Thomas streaking down the right sideline for a 97-yard touchdown.

And Thomas wasn't finished.

The third-round rookie caught all five of his targets for 140 yards and a touchdown, while also producing a 39-yard punt return and a 22-yard kickoff return.

It was the kind of performance that made it immediately obvious why the Bears were willing to bet on Thomas' rare athletic traits in the 2026 NFL Draft, and Johnson loved what he saw.

He also made sure his rookie receiver understood it was only the beginning.

Ben Johnson wants Zavion Thomas focused on the details

Thomas' 97-yard touchdown was a perfect showcase of his explosiveness.

He used a double move to leave Titans cornerback Keydrain Calligan behind before turning on the speed that helped him run a 4.28-second 40-yard dash during the pre-draft process. Once Thomas caught the ball, Tennessee's secondary had no chance of catching him.

Ben Johnson wasn't surprised.

"We've seen it throughout camp," Johnson said. "He's had a knack for making some big plays throughout."

Thomas' injury interrupted what had been an encouraging training camp, making Saturday particularly important.

"Got sidetracked a little bit with the injury, but to get him back out there and get him a taste of real football, I thought that was huge," Johnson said.

But this is Ben Johnson, after all. It can't always be rainbows and sunshine when talking about a rookie wideout.

"Don't want all that production to go to his head, necessarily," Johnson said. "He's still got a long ways to go, and he knows that. He understands that."

That's where wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El and assistant receivers coach Isaiah Ford enter the equation. Johnson said they're "on him constantly" about mastering the details necessary to succeed within Chicago's offense.

In other words, the Bears already know Thomas can run. Now they need him to become a complete NFL receiver.

Zavion Thomas gives Bears another explosive weapon

Thomas' performance adds another layer to what Caleb Williams said earlier this week.

Williams said Chicago is striving to become "one of the most explosive, if not the most explosive" offenses in the NFL. Thomas looks like he can certainly help there.

Chicago already has Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet and D'Andre Swift surrounding Williams. Kalif Raymond adds another speed element.

Thomas, however, has a special level of speed. He instantly drew Tyreek Hill comparisons on social media after his touchdown, and from a pure speed perspective, they're pretty fair.

The Bears drafted Thomas No. 89 overall after he spent his final two college seasons at LSU. He also has extensive return experience, totaling 655 kickoff-return yards during his LSU career after earning Freshman All-America recognition as a returner at Mississippi State. Saturday showed how that versatility can translate.

Thomas didn't just produce 140 receiving yards. He created another 61 yards in the return game. If my math is correct, that's 201 all-purpose yards in his first preseason appearance.

Thomas had the perfect response to Ben Johnson's challenge

Perhaps the most encouraging part of Thomas' night came after the game. He didn't flinch at Johnson's message. Instead, he embraced it.

"It feels good," Thomas said of Johnson's comments. "Having a coach telling me to stay humble means a lot to me. So that's exactly what I'm going to do, and on to the next day."

Thomas' debut wasn't perfect, either. He was involved in a botched jet-sweep exchange with Bagent and took responsibility afterward, saying the mistake was "1000% on me" and promising to improve his ball security. Those details matter to Johnson.

But so do explosive plays.

And there might not be another player on Chicago's roster capable of creating them quite like Thomas.

Bears found another dangerous piece for Caleb Williams

Nobody should turn one preseason performance against Tennessee's reserves into a prediction that Thomas is about to become a featured receiver. Remember: Chicago's passing game already has plenty of mouths to feed.

But Saturday showed why finding a role for Thomas could be worthwhile.

Five targets. Five receptions. 140 yards. A 97-yard touchdown. A 39-yard punt return. And this was his first preseason game.

Bagent jokingly called it the "greatest start in NFL history."

Johnson, predictably, was considerably more restrained.

"It was a good start," he said.