Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson had a chance to see some of the backups, veterans, and rookies fighting for jobs compete against a different opponent in last weekend’s preseason opener.
While the final result doesn’t matter in the preseason, execution does in all three phases of the game. It was a good opportunity to evaluate some of the new faces sans the starters, who did not play against the Miami Dolphins.
With the first game out of the way, those new faces now have two more games to prove to the coaching staff that they belong. However, it appears Johnson will be calling an audible heading into this week’s preseason matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
Instead of just seeing the second, third, and fourth-string guys play, the first-time head coach wants to get his starters on the field.
Ben Johnson said that everyone is going to play Sunday vs. Buffalo in the Bears 2nd preseason game. That includes Caleb Williams and the starters who sat out last week.
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) August 13, 2025
Bears QB Caleb Williams and Rest of Starters to Play in Preseason Week 2
According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, Johnson told the reporters in attendance that everyone will play against the Bills, including second-year QB Caleb Williams and the starters.
Before last week’s preseason opener against the Dolphins, fans wondered if the starters would see any time on the field. But Johnson said in an interview ahead of the opener that the young QB and the starters would not play.
The Bears went through joint practices with the Dolphins, so that served as a good opportunity for the starters to get in good reps. Over the last few years, teams have opted for more joint practices, which helps the first-team guys get their necessary work in.
Now, Chicago fans will get to see if Williams can take from the things he’s learned from Johnson and the rest of the coaching staff and put them into action. Given Johnson's acumen as an offensive coordinator, Bears fans believe that he can take Williams to the next level in his second year.
Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how much the starters play, as they don’t see much or any time in the third preseason game.
After how last year played out for Williams and the rest of the starters, this weekend’s game against the Bills could give the fan base a lot of hope and optimism for the upcoming season, depending on their performance.