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The Easiest Decision Ben Johnson Must Make for Bears Preseason Opener

Cleveland intends to use its starters against the Bears according to coach Todd Monken, but does it mean Ben Johnson reciprocates?
Gene Chamberlain|
D'Andre Swift surges ahead against the Browns last season in an easy Bears victory.
D'Andre Swift surges ahead against the Browns last season in an easy Bears victory. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

The week of the first preseason game has arrived and Bears coach Ben Johnson faces one big decision. It's the same one every coach must make for every preseason game and one fans seem to get all up in arms about every year.

How much playing time will he give the first-team offense, and quarterback Caleb Williams in particular?

Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken has already said he'll at least begin the game with starters on the field and is hoping to look at both quarterbacks vying for the starting role, Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson.

Johnson hasn't indicated anything yet about which players will start, but the smart money says they don't play starters. The smart decision is also that Johnson doesn't play starters.

There are a few reasons this is the way the Bears need to go.

1. Last Year

Johnson didn't use his starters in the preseason opener last year. It didn't matter that the Dolphins came into that preseason game and decided to use Tua Tagovailoa and starters. Johnson stuck with his own plan. He should do the same here. Who cares what Monken is doing?

To Johnson, the key is how the Bears practice this week and not how they'll play Saturday at Soldier Field when nothing matters. Tyson Bagent and the backup offense should be starting just like last year's preseason opener, and the same is true with the backup defense.

ZAVION THOMAS INJURY SITUATION NOT SERIOUS FOR MORE THAN ONE REASON

2. Different Situation

If Johnson wouldn't use his starters last year when the team was still in a formative situation in 2025 preseason, they certainly wouldn't want to do it now. Last year they really did need any practice rep they could get because they were having problems in practices even geting plays run, but he still wouldn't give starters the playing time.

They've been in the offense and defense a year now and are much more advanced. There's no urgent need for extra play reps. So there's no reason to expect he would buck last year's trend while facing a different situation with his own team.

3. Williams/Johnson Familiarity

Unlike the Browns, the Bears are already well positioned at quarterback and the coach and his passer know what to expect of each other. There is no need to get a feel for this in game conditions.

4. Injuries

These happen every year in training camps and decisions can be made entirely based on this, but with an injury affecting left tackle Braxton Jones and considering they didn't use veteran standout guard Joe Thuney all of preseason last year, it would mean putting Williams out there behind a makeshift line in a meaningless game. There's absolutely no reason to attempt this.

Williams won't even have receiver Luther Burden available, and possibly even rookie Zavion Thomas, as a result of injuries so there really is no point to using the starting QB and starting offense.

As for the defense, almost all of the starters look like they're hurt anyway. Linebackers T.J. Edwards and D'Marco Jackson sat out the last practice. Safety/CB Cam Lewis went out Saturday and missed Sunday's practice. Slot cornerback Kyler Gordon is still on PUP. Starting safety Coby Bryant won't be back until mid-October.

The health situation indicates there really is no decision to make here. It's obvious.

5. Nothing to see

About the only thing there is to see for coaches is special teams coordinator Richard Hightower could sort out things between young players in pecking order for coverage and blocking one his units for punts and kickoffs. They don't get enough full-contact work in practices and can use it in games.

This is the only thing coaches really need to see.

Training camp and preseason are about the bottom of the roster, anyway. There's nothing so pressing that the starters need to be out there and the backups and bottom feeders of the roster need the time to try and win one of the very few spots that will be open to new players beyond their 2026 draft picks.

On defense, it should be all about Jack Sanborn leading a group of substitutes.

On offense, it's Tyson Bagent's time of year. In the last three preseasons, he is 83 of 123 for 874 yards with seven TDs, two interceptions for a 100.12 passer ratting. He should be adding more passes to that total, and they're not meaningless. You can never tell when a backup QB will need to play and they need to have their timing down, as well.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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