Oregon rookie Dillon Thieneman earns game ball in NFL debut with Bears

Logan Brown, Ducks WireSun, September 13, 2026 at 11:22 PM UTC

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The scoreboard lit up in Charlotte to kick off the NFL regular season, as the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers combined for 96 points and over 1,000 yards of offense. Suffice it to say, defense was at a premium in the Week 1 game.

However, the Bears defense was a little bit better, helping lead the team to a 59-37 victory, and Oregon Ducks rookie safety Dillon Thieneman was a big part of it. The Bears took Thieneman in the first round of April's NFL draft, and he has already taken on a big role in the secondary.

In his NFL debut, Thieneman led the Bears with 10 tackles, eight of which were solo tackles, a pass deflection and a hit on the quarterback. He was also part of a few key plays that won't show up in the box score. After being beat in coverage for a big gain early on, Thieneman bounced back by playing great coverage in the end zone to prevent a score. Early in the fourth quarter, Thieneman wrapped up a Panthers receiver and allowed a teammate to punch the ball loose.

While Thieneman did make some rookie mistakes, it was a great outing to spark his NFL career, and Bears head coach Ben Johnson made sure the former Duck knew it. In the locker room after the win, Johnson made sure to deliver a game ball to Thieneman for leading the defense in tackles.

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In his lone season in Eugene, Thieneman played over the middle and often in the box, supporting in coverage over the middle and fitting against the run. The Bears have used Thieneman more as a deep safety to maximize his speed, but that didn't stop the rookie Duck from helping out against the run game as well.

Thieneman was one of two first-round selections for Oregon in the NFL draft. He will take on a commanding role in the secondary as a rookie, while former Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who was selected by the New York Jets, eased into his new offense with three catches and a touchdown run in his debut.

It was a productive debut for the Oregon safety, and one he likely won't forget any time soon. Thieneman will get a chance to play in Chicago for the first time in front of his new fanbase next Sunday, when the Bears host the Minnesota Vikings.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon rookie Dillon Thieneman earns game ball in NFL debut with Bears

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Source: “AOL Sports”