Top performers from Chicago Bears' preseason loss to the Cincinnati Bengals
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The Chicago Bears dropped their first game of the Ben Johnson era, losing 27-9 to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals might've made more plays, but the Bears have made plays of their own individually.
Here are our standouts and top performers from the Bears' preseason loss to Cincinnati on Saturday.
Jahdae Walker
The Bears have talked up Jahdae Walker this offseason.
He showed what earned that hype on one play against the Bengals.
Case Keenum targeted Walker in the second quarter. Keenum had a great throw to place the ball past the cornerback and away from the safety.
Walker made a better catch, as he went up and caught the ball for a 36-yard gain. He just had two targets on the day, but he made the most of one of them.
The Bears’ second-year wide receiver has an opportunity to earn an important role for the Bears’ offense this year, especially with the team looking to fill the void left behind by DJ Moore.
Walker won’t be a top option for the Bears this season. Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland will have those roles for the Bears. What makes him special is how fast he is. The Bears’ offensive players and coaches have talked up how fast Walker has been in camp.
If Walker can earn a spot opposite Odunze as the Bears’ Y-receiver, he can showcase his speed and help Loveland, Burden and Odunze by taking the top off of opposing defenses.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 22: Jahdae Walke #9 of the Chicago Bears celebrates after catching a pass against the Cincinnati Bengals during the preseason game at Paycor Stadium on August 22, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Jordan van den Berg
The Bears’ rookie sixth-round picks keeps making you turn your head.
There aren’t many moments that end up on the statsheet for van den Berg. He had just three combined tackles on the night.
However, watching the game, it’s evident how good the Georgia Tech rookie can be for the Bears.
Against the Bengals, van den Berg was consistently penetrating into the Cincinnati backfield. He forced the issue on a few running plays and affected a few passing plays.
Sometimes, it felt like van den Berg moved the offensive line on nearly every snap.
They didn’t show up in the statsheet for him. He didn’t have a sack, quarterback hit or a tackle for loss. But, doing that in the regular season will mean his teammates will get sacks, quarterback hits or a tackles for loss.
Having a rookie that can do that is important for a Bears’ defense that needs more out of its defensive line this season.
Skylar Thomas
The Bears’ defense didn’t have many great plays to write home about on Saturday night. They struggled against the Bengals quarterbacks of Josh Johnson and Sean Clifford.
But, Thomas offered a bright spot for the defense. Specifically, he made the secondary look solid.
Thomas intercepted a pass from Clifford to give the Bears’ offense an opportunity to score.
The Bears’ offense missed a 53-yard field goal. But, this is an important rep for Thomas to show the Bears as they’re missing plenty of players at the safety position.
Thomas played with the first-team defense when Cam Lewis was injured two weeks prior and after Coby Bryant went down for most of the year. Seeing him make a play gives the Bears’ coaches confidence in Thomas.
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Salvon Ahmed
The Bears’ No. 3 running back battle continues. This weekend, Ahmed made the biggest impression.
Roschon Johnson was with the first-team offense. But, Ahmed outpaced him in both the running and passing game.
Ahmed had 36 yards rushing on six carries and three receptions for 14 yards. Johnson had more carries, but Ahmed was targeted more in the passing game and nearly matched Johnson’s 42 rushing yards on half the number of carries.
The final preseason game will indicate what the Bears might be thinking about their running back room.