5 Chicago Bears takeaways from Pre-Season Week 2

This wasn’t quite the way fans would’ve drawn it up for the Chicago Bears.

In Week 2 of the 2023 NFL Preseason, the Chicago Bears took on the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Prior to this, the Bears held joint practices against the Colts. Following the practices, Matt Eberflus stated during his press conference that the Bears would be withholding select starters from the game.

The way it turned out, however, was almost every starter sitting out to the chagrin of many Bears fans who were licking their chops for some action.

While this is understandable, let’s keep the bigger picture in mind. The Chicago Bears are primed to be big players this season, but their impact would be noticeably diluted if the starters weren’t at full health.

All that matters is bringing justice to Soldier Field when Green Bay visits during Week 1 of the regular season.

With all of that said, here are my five biggest takeaways from the Chicago Bears Week 2 preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Roschon Johnson continues to showcase his special RB1 ability

While I was hoping that Roschon Johnson would get some run with the starting offense, I was forced to embrace the wait when Chicago Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus announced that starters would be sitting. With this in mind, D’Onta Foreman started the game and looked serviceable for a couple of drives.

Then the main event subbed into the game.

The main event consisted of two players. The first of those was Chicago Bears rookie Running Back Roschon Johnson, and he did not disappoint.

While he would ultimately only play the first half, it would not be a coincidence that it was the most impressive portion of the night for the Chicago Bears. During that time, Johnson carried seven times for 32 yards while adding an 11-yard reception en route to a 92-yard touchdown drive, the longest of the game for either team.

He looked fast, strong, and physical. He looked like a man who moves the chains. He looked like a man who deserved to be drafted higher than the fourth round.

I’d love to tell you this is a surprise, but it is not. Every week, Roschon Johnson reminds me more of Chicago Bears legend Matt Forte. This backfield is more talented than the one that Matt Forte entered, but don’t be surprised if and when Roschon Johnson ascends to RB1 on the depth chart.

His all-around ability is just too apparent to ignore.