The Chicago Bears secured a 33-6 win against the Buffalo Bills last week. Chicago will try to build on that success in its third preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday at Soldier Field. The Bears played in the Hall of Fame Game vs. the Houston Texans to open the NFL preseason, providing a built-in extra game for their regular-season preparation.
Quarterback Caleb Williams shined in his first preseason action, but is he playing in front of his home crowd for the first time vs. the Bengals?
Is Caleb Williams Playing in the Bears’ Third Preseason Game Against the Bengals?
The former USC star was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, signing a four-year, $39.5 million deal with the Bears. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner made noise in his debut with the Bears on Aug. 10 against the Bills, going 4 of 7 for 95 yards, with an average of 13.5 yards per dropback.
One of the most talked about moments from Williams’ debut was a 26-yard dart to tight end Cole Kmet. Williams’ electrifying performance reinforced Bears fans’ hope for a better future.
When asked about the starter’s playing time in this preseason game, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said fans would see the key players take the stage against the Bengals and that he feels confident with the process set so far in training camp.
Eberflus emphasized his plan to let the starters get their reps ahead of the regular season while emphasizing the importance of competitive reps within the team.
Talking about the number of reps the starters will get depends on “the ebb and flow of the game.” Speaking about Chicago’s opponent on Saturday, Eberflus said that Cincinnati brings in a different structure to help his team prepare for the regular season when they face different types of teams week in and week out.
The Bengals vs. Bears joint practice was put on hold on Thursday due to heavy rains in Lake Forest, Illinois. Two Cincinnati players — Chris Evans and D’Ante Smith — were unfortunately carted off the field due to potentially season-ending injuries.
Fans will clamor to see Williams in action but don’t overlook the defense in the Bears’ evolution.
“We had three turnovers today against a really good quarterback, a Pro Bowl, All-Pro quarterback,” said defensive back Kevin Byard III. “So we put it on film, and that’s just the evidence that shows this is the expectation.”
