Will the Bears starters play vs. Cleveland? Ben Johnson shares his plans
Bears prepare to kick off 2026 preseason against Browns
670 The Score’s Matt Spiegel breaks down what to watch as Caleb Williams and the Bears prepare to open the preseason against the Browns on Saturday.
The Chicago Bears will see some action this Saturday. According to coach Ben Johnson, this means all of them.
Johnson shared his participation plans for the Bears' starting offense and defense in Saturday's preseason opener vs. Cleveland.
What they're saying:
According to Johnson, the starters will play on Saturday. However, not all will play.
Johnson didn't share which players wouldn't participate, but he did say that a "handful of guys that won't be participating."
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will not play. Quarterback Tyson Bagent will start the game on Saturday.
"Do I need to see Caleb Williams in the preseason? No I don't," Johnson said, noting he'll be ready for Week 1 based on what he's seen in practice so far.
Left Tackle Battle:
The Bears will have a chance to evaluate their left tackle position further. Offensive tackle Braxton Jones' injury will most likely hold him out on Saturday.
Because of this, the Bears will get a chance to get a hefty look at Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills Jr.
"Our plan for that game is we'll start Kiran," Johnson said. "Then we're looking to alternate him and Jedrick."
What's next:
The Bears will have more than just the preseason games, too.
Johnson alluded to how big the joint practices with the Bengals and Titans will be in terms of discerning just where the Bears are at heading into Week 1 and what they need to do in order to improve.
"Where do we stand relative to the rest of the league?" Johnson said."How good are we? How good can we be?"