Chicago Bears Insider Reveals If Starters Will Play Vs. Bengals

Chicago Bears fans got a tantalizing first taste of the starters last weekend against the Buffalo Bills. Caleb Williams led two scoring drives on offense, amassing 95 yards passing and 13 rushing while making some impressive throws. The offensive line held up pretty well despite ongoing concerns. Defensively, despite missing five starters, they held the Bills offense out of the end zone. It was a brief cameo, but there was a lot to get excited about. Now, fans are hoping they will get more this week as the Bears prepare to face another AFC power, the Cincinnati Bengals.

Under normal conditions, this wouldn't be a question. Head coach Matt Eberflus would likely play his starters at least a quarter, maybe a half. However, another factor is in play. The Bears will hold a joint practice with the Bengals today. Last year, they did the same with Indianapolis. Eberflus ended up holding the starters out of the game as a result, feeling they got plenty of competitive reps in practice. Cincinnati has already announced their starters won't play this weekend. As for the Bears? Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune gave an update.

"My hunch is the Bears will hold out their starters — or the vast majority of them — and say the joint practice Thursday is a very valuable exercise. If that’s the case, the next question is what will happen Aug. 22 in the preseason finale at Kansas City? Will starters play in that game? In last summer’s final exhibition, offensive starters played anywhere from 13 snaps (Justin Fields) to 17 (offensive linemen) and defensive starters such as linebacker T.J. Edwards got as many as 21 snaps. It’s possible Eberflus will choose a similar approach this year."

This isn't a massive surprise for the Chicago Bears.

Keep in mind their preseason finale is on August 22nd against the Kansas City Chiefs. They will then wait 16 days until the regular season opener against Tennessee. That is more than enough time for players to rest and heal up from any nagging injuries. It is why Eberflus and the Chicago Bears brass likely feel comfortable having starters skip this upcoming game and playing them in the finale. Besides, it will be a great way for them to test their mettle against the defending champs. While it's unfortunate for fans who bought tickets to the Bengals game, this outcome can't be called too much of a shock. Logistically, it makes sense.