Evaluating the Bears Starters in First Preseason Game Appearance of 2026
The Chicago Bears starters have returned to the field, taking on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week Two of the preseason on Saturday night. 2025 was the organization's most exciting season in years, leaving the organization with very high expectations for this season. The Bears nearly made it to their first Conference Championship game since 2010, making an impressive playoff run but falling short to the Los Angeles Rams. Head coach Ben Johnson has set the standard for what kind of success he’s looking for, trying to bring the team their second Super Bowl trophy in history. On Saturday night, the Bears starters finally took the field for the first time since their playoff loss.
Quarterback Caleb Williams and the offense played only one drive to start the game, but that sample size still told a story. The star quarterback completed two of five passes for 28 yards, getting the offense down into the red zone of the Bengals. They were unable to come away with points, as the Cincinnati defense made the stop. Wide receiver Rome Odunze and tight end Colston Loveland accounted for the two catches, highlighting how important those two will be in the regular season. The offensive line held up well, not allowing any sacks and giving their team a chance to score. Overall, the starting offense showed positive signs in their limited snaps. Defensively, the story was completely different.
The Bengals’ offensive backups led with a 67-yard scoring drive. Chicago’s defense had no pass rush, and the run defense was unable to stop the Bengals’ rushing attack. The Bears’ defense has already had an underwhelming training camp thus far, making this small performance a bit more concerning. Chicago has also been plagued by injuries, including safety Coby Bryant, leaving the defense to begin the 2026 season with trouble at several important positions. Now, all areas of the defense seem lacking, with the biggest concern being the pass rush. Chicago’s starters had a mixed performance, but they will have plenty of time to fix things up before the regular season begins in a few weeks.
