LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears needed good yardage to open a two-minute drill to cap Wednesday’s practice.

Quarterback Caleb Williams had plenty of great options in the pattern and chose to target Olamide Zaccheaus. The veteran gained 8 yards.

Then, on a third down when Williams had to convert, he again went to Zaccheaus, who made the first down and a whole lot more in the series’ lone explosive play. Zaccheaus received the ball on the next play and pushed deep into the red zone.

Then came an incomplete pass, followed by a pass to — you guessed it — Zaccheaus to set up a last-second field goal.

Not only did he have four catches on one drive, but he also knocked a possible interception out of safety Jonathan Owens’ hands.

While Zaccheaus’ involvement isn’t always that high, the 28-year-old has shown flashes every day of an excellent training camp to this point. He has been so good that rookie Luther Burden III can’t crack the first team. And it’s crystal clear that Zaccheaus has Williams’ trust.

“The biggest thing is just reps,” Zaccheaus said in a Wednesday press conference. “Just getting the reps and then just having the talks about how he’s seeing things and how I kind of see things as well, and then obviously, like I said, fitting it into what [Bears head coach] Ben [Johnson] wants as an offense, too. But the reps are the most important thing, just being able to kind of see what the film looks like and then go and talk about it afterwards.”

Repetition is key to Zaccheaus’ work, both in learning a new scheme and on-field execution. This is the third time in three seasons that Zaccheaus has learned a new scheme, so he has tricks to help absorb all three receiver positions and quickly execute them.

“Keying in on the little details has been a big thing for me,” Zaccheaus said. “I view things big picture-wise, so if they move me to a different spot, I know the concept. I’m not learning a new play. I learn the concept first and then game-plan things. You’re going to move around a little bit. If you just have an understanding of the concepts and what the play is designed to do, then moving around is not too hard.”

Zaccheaus could end up playing a major role in the Bears’ offense, despite being the lone pass catcher the team didn’t heavily invest into with a big contract or a high draft pick. He has made a solid impression on the Bears since he signed a one-year deal worth up to $1.5 million this offseason.

Zaccheaus has exceeded expectations to this point, but he isn’t ready to pat himself on the back.

“I just go out and focus on my routine and just play ball,” he said. “That’s all. And really do my best.”

Injury updates

Defensive back Kyler Gordon is considered week-to-week with a hamstring injury, Johnson said, but the Bears are hopeful that he can return before the end of training camp.

Ben Johnson also provided an update on cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who has been on the non-football injury list since camp started with a hamstring issue.

“He is right on track,” Ben Johnson said. “Everything I said last time. He is right on track. He is right where he needs to be. It’s really, like I said, those type of injuries, you don’t know short-term, long-term. Everyone is a little bit different. But I think we’re going in the right direction right now.”

The Bears hope Jaylon Johnson is healthy and can return for the Week 1 clash with the NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings.

The Bears were able to get cornerback Nick McCloud back at practice after he suffered an undisclosed injury. Cornerback Terell Smith didn’t miss time despite suffering a groin injury in Sunday’s preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins.

Offensive linemen Kiran Amegadjie and Bill Murray previously had returned, but they were back in team drills. The Bears still are missing running back Roschon Johnson and interior lineman Doug Kramer Jr. from foot injuries in practice and linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga (shoulder) and running back Travis Homer (calf) from in-game ailments.

Practice notes

The left tackle rotation was tweaked somewhat Wednesday, with Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet alternating between the first and second units, with Amegadjie on the third team. Ozzy Trapilo worked as a second-team right tackle, which wasn’t a surprise after offensive line coach Dan Roushar said he wanted the rookie to see some work there. If Trapilo doesn’t win the starting left tackle job, he’ll likely fill a swing tackle role. Both he and Benedet have worked both sides of the line in camp. …

WR Rome Odunze had an excellent practice, with two clutch red-zone catches. The first converted a third down, and the second was a touchdown catch to end the period. On the other side of the ball, DTs Gervon Dexter Sr. and Andrew Billings were standouts in run defense. Also, CB Tyrique Stevenson regularly gets a hand on the ball, including two key moments Wednesday. …

The padded practice featured pass-rush drills between the offensive and defensive lines and linebackers versus running backs. DE Dayo Odeyingbo was impactful against both starting offensive tackles. He knocked Jones over during a one-on-one drill and flew by Darnell Wright on another. …

The Bears ran a live tackling team period for all three teams early in practice. The first-team offense overall had some nice moments, but it had a three-play run with two pre-snap penalties and a situation where Williams made a bad pitch and the ball landed nowhere near RB D’Andre Swift.

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