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Preseason Week 2 Recap + Roster Decisions | Chicago Sports Tonight
Fox Chicago's Cassie Carlson & Sam Panayotovich recap the Bears 27-9 loss to the Bengals on Saturday. How much trouble is the Bears defense in with all their secondary injuries? Who will win the left tackle job? How did the first-team offense fare in their lone drive? And we give our thoughts on who will make the roster from running backs, offensive lineman, pass rusher and Kyler Gordon.
Time is of the essence for the Chicago Bears.
With a few weeks remaining until the regular season begins, there are still key position battles Bears coach Ben Johnson is overseeing.
"I think we've got a really good plan," Johnson said.
Here are two positions the Bears will have a keen eye on this week as the team will have another joint practice and its final preseason contest this weekend.
Left tackle
Johnson is pretty well aware at this point. The left tackle topic is one he
"We talk about it every time I'm up here," Johnson said."
This is because he hasn't seen what he wants. He's said that before, too.
Johnson wanted someone to take control of that position. He wanted one of the players currently on the roster to seize the starting spot and consistently play like it in camp to his standards, as well as offensive line coach Dan Roushar's standards.
Johnson hasn't seen that yet.
"Left tackle is still an ongoing spot," Johnson said. "I don't know that we're 100% sold on who that guy will be against Carolina."
The Bears have had four players compete at left tackle this preseason: Braxton Jones, Theo Benedet, Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills Jr.
None of them have separated themselves from the other when they've gotten reps with the first-team offense. They're running out of chances to do so.
CINCINNATI, OH - AUGUST 22: Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson looks at the scoreboard during the preseason game between the Chicago Bears and the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on August 22, 2026 in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon …
Safety
It's assumed Dillon Thieneman will have a handle on one of the starting safety spots. He's earned first-team reps in camp and hasn't let them go.
It was assumed Coby Bryant would start next to Thieneman. However, Bryant will be sidelined for four to six months after an injury in camp required surgery.
Since then, the Bears have tried to find the right player to place next to Thieneman. Johnson is hoping that player emerges this week, with an eye specifically on the team's time in Nashville.
"We're hoping, over those big three days there, we're able to come to an agreement on who should be going out there Game 1," Johnson said.
The Bears have a few contenders for that starting safety spot: Cam Lewis and Xavier Woods. It wouldn't be a shock to see the Bears offer a few looks to safety Skylar Thomas, however Johnson was complementary of Woods' experience in the past.
Time will tell for the Bears.
Unfortunately for the Bears, Sept. 13 is approaching quickly.
The Source: The information in this report was gathered by Fox Chicago's Chris Kwiecinski, who observed Bears training camp at Halas Hall, as well as post-practice Q&A sessions with head coach Ben Johnson and more.