The Chicago Bears, fresh off a joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, ended the week on a low note with a 27-9 loss on Saturday in their second preseason game.
While the Bengals opted to rest their starters, the Bears had their starters play one series after sitting them in the preseason opener. Nobody played a significant role in the game, but there were position battles up and down the roster.
The Bears came in with uncertainty at defensive back, left tackle, running back and wide receiver. There is plenty of clarity when it comes to Week 1 starters for most of those positions, but roster spots are still up for grabs. Many of these will still be a big part of what the team is trying to accomplish in 2026.
In a lot of games, especially in the regular season, the instant analysis will be breaking down the game and what led to a win or a loss. That is not the most important thing here, though. Quarterback Caleb Williams did start, but he only played one drive. He went 2-of-5 for 28 yards. Williams, along with all starters, escaped with no injury.
Once the reserves came in, it was a low-level performance. There wasn’t much solved in terms of Chicago’s positional battles. At left tackle, Braxton Jones saw action beyond the starters, but he didn’t offer much confidence. His predecessors were not strong either.
It is becoming more and more clear that the Bears need Ozzy Trapilo to be healthy if they want to solve that position in 2026. It is fair to be concerned about left tackle at this point.
None of the running backs were the burners that they needed to be to secure spots, although it’s clear that it’s a battle between Roschon Johnson and Salvon Ahmed for that third spot. At receiver, Maurice Alexander and Jahdae Walker each had a play or two to be happy about, but there is more work to be done to solidify who fills out the bottom of that room.
Overall, it was a lousy game for the Bears after a good showing in their first week against the Browns. It was mostly backups playing, but nobody completed the task that they were hoping for with this performance, which is to solidify their spot. There is one more preseason chance ahead.
The most important takeaway from this game is that they aren’t too worse for wear. Nobody sustained any serious injuries, which is always the biggest issue that stems from preseason football.
There is a lot of film to watch from an improvement standpoint, especially with a joint practice against the Tennessee Titans on deck. That, like their practice with the Bengals, will conclude with a preseason game.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Instant analysis from Bears’ 27-9 preseason loss to Bengals
Reporting by Vincent Parise, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Vincent Parise, Bears Wire | USA TODAY Network
