Thieneman logged 10 tackles (eight solo) and one pass defense during the Bears' 59-37 win over the Panthers on Sunday.
Thieneman, a first-round selection of the Bears in the 2026 NFL Draft, made his regular-season debut Sunday in what turned out to be the highest-scoring Week 1 contest in NFL history. Thieneman did his part, leading the Bears in tackles while playing all 68 defensive snaps and playing 17 more snaps on special teams. The rookie figures to be busy this season if the Bears' secondary doesn't show improvement, though the team was without fellow safety Xavier Woods (groin) against Carolina.
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Bears' Dillon Thieneman: Selected by Chicago
Rotowire
The Bears selected Thieneman in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 25th overall.
Thieneman would have been a justifiable selection somewhere in the top 20, so the Bears jumped at the chance to add the speedy safety with the 25th pick. Thieneman (6-feet, 201 pounds) was outrageously productive as a true freshman and sophomore starter at Purdue (2023-2024), accumulating triple-digit tackles in both seasons and intercepting six passes in the first season. Thieneman almost made it three seasons in a row with triple-digit tackles, but he finished with 'only' 96 tackles in his one season with Oregon (2025). With a 4.35-second 40 and 41-inch vertical, Thieneman showed he's a top-tier athlete in addition to a skilled safety.
