Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson was hopeful his squad would have joint practices with other teams in the NFL this preseason. It sounds like he’s getting his wish. On Tuesday, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters his team was set to hold a joint practice with the Bears via Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. The two teams are set to play each other in the preseason in Cincinnati and will hold a practice on August 20th, two days before the game.
This will be the second time in three years the Bears and Bengals will go against one another in practice. Cincinnati visited the Bears at Halas Hall in August of 2024 prior to a preseason game, though their practice was held in wet and rainy conditions.
It will also mark the first time these two teams go against one another since last November’s wild back-and-forth affair at Paycor Stadium. Both teams traded blows, with the Bengals taking a late lead with under a minute to play, only for quarterback Caleb Williams to find tight end Colston Loveland with the game-winning touchdown, capturing a 47-42 victory.
While the practice and preseason game won’t feature the same theatrics, this will still be a good test for the Bears as they get ready to defend their NFC North crown going into the 2026 season.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears to hold joint practice with Bengals this preseason
Reporting by Brendan Sugrue, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
