The Chicago Bears will finally practice against someone other than themselves when they hit the road to work out against the Cincinnati Bengals in a joint practice on Thursday.
Ben Johnson has put stock into joint practices as a great tool for evaluation, even more so than a preseason game as far as what can be controlled. In his second season as head coach, Johnson has two joint practices on deck (one against Cincinnati and another against the Tennessee Titans next week).
"We've been talking about it for a couple weeks now it seems like and how big that'll be just to assess where we're at as a team," said head coach Ben Johnson. "We had a really good staff meeting yesterday with the player day off, just being able to see where we're at, and there's
competition throughout this roster right now. Offense, defense, special teams, it's heating up and I wish there was a little bit more clarity at this point but there's not. I think that's going to make for a really good next two weeks as guys try to separate themselves and make it clear that they belong on the 53 (man roster) or on the practice squad."
Here's what to watch for when the Bears practice against the Bengals on Thursday:
Bringing the physicality
Joint practices usually bring out the intensity and physicality as teams finally get to start hitting players not on their own team. Just look at last summer when the Bears practiced against the Dolphins, which ignited tensions and left some Miami players reeling.
As far as physicality goes, this will be nothing different for Chicago, as they've had some pretty intense practices so far this summer. But defensive coordinator Dennis Allen doesn't want to see fights.
"We've had a lot of physical practices, and yet it's maintained relative order for the most part," Allen said. "And that's the same thing that we want to do when we go down to Cincinnati. We want to go and we want to compete and have good, productive physical practices. And yet nobody gets better when we're wallowing around fighting. So, let's compete, let's practice, and let's play physically between the whistles. And then when the play's over, let's move on to the next one so we can be productive."
Who works with starters at left tackle?
For the second consecutive summer, we're less than a month away from the start of the regular season with no end in sight with the left tackle competition. Thursday's practice should provide a look at the frontrunner in the competition, which is presumed to be Braxton Jones, who recently returned to practice after battling a mild injury.
Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills Jr. got looks with the starters in Jones' absence, including last Saturday's preseason win over the Cleveland Browns. Ozzy Trapilo, who recently returned to practice fresh off the PUP list and a ruptured patellar tendon, should also factor into the competition. But he's on his own timeline, according to head coach Ben Johnson.
"As far as I'm concerned, the competition remains wide open," Johnson said. "And we'll continue to play that one out."
Who gets opportunities with first-team defense in the secondary?
Injuries have shaken things up in the secondary with safety Coby Bryant expected to miss 4-6 months, nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon still on the PUP list with no timetable for return and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson sidelined with an injury. That's opened things up in the secondary, specifically at safety and nickel cornerback.
Rookie Malik Muhammad has gotten looks both outside and nickel while Cam Lewis has seen time at nickel and safety and Josh Blackwell has been all over the field. Xavier Woods, who Chicago signed last week, is projected to be their starting safety opposite rookie Dillon Thieneman heading into the season. But Thursday's joint practice should provide us with a look at where things currently align on the depth chart, even as injuries have hampered their defensive plans.
"It's a challenge to build that unit together, and yet as I've said before, it's a great opportunity for some of these guys that might not have gotten that chance to be out there with the ones and see what they can do," Allen said. "Look, there was a point in time where we didn't think we were going to be counting on Nahshon Wright last year, and because of the injury situation, he got a lot of opportunities. He continued to take advantage of those opportunities and got better and really ended up being a starting corner force. So, it's not the recipe that we intended to cook the meal with, and yet we've got to deal with what we have and try to get the guys that are out there, we've got to get them better."
How do Bears defensive backs fare vs. Bengals pass catchers?
The Bears secondary will face an early challenge ahead of the regular season when they face a loaded Bengals skill position group featuring Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chicago has been dealing with a myriad of injuries, especially in the secondary, so it'll be a good test for the returning veterans, younger players and new additions to prepare for the regular season. For what it's worth, the Bears have some big weapons of their own, including Colston Loveland and Rome Odunze. But Chase and Higgins are two of the best in the game, so it'll be a true litmus test.
"This is a hell of a challenge for all of our defensive backs to have to go up against this set of receivers and these skill players," Allen said. "I want to see him go out there and compete. Can we play man coverage against these guys? Can we run with these guys?"
How does Bears offense fare vs. improved Bengals defense?
The Bears offense is night and day ahead of where they were at this point last season in the second year in head coach Ben Johnson's offense. The overall operation has been much smoother, although not perfect, and they've had mostly good days this summer. Now, they'll face a new challenge against a new defense when they practice against an improved Bengals defense featuring newcomers Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen and Boye Mafe along the defensive front. It'll be a good challenge for Chicago's offense line and running backs, as well as quarterback Caleb Williams and his cast of weapons.
"I think you see a lot more glimpses of what we expect it to be, and I think that's the biggest thing is everybody knows what the standard is, what it looks like, what our pre-snap operation looks like," offensive coordinator Press Taylor said. "I think talking with our guys, they feel it. They feel what it's like to come out of the huddle with clarity, conviction in what we're doing, how we operate before the ball is ever snapped. We shift in motion as much as anybody in the league. So all the moving parts pre- snap and then taking advantage of our cadence, the presentation of the formation, the motion, things like that."
Has the Bears pass rush improved?
One of the biggest question marks surrounding the Bears defense this offseason has been the pass rush, which was among the worst in the league last season. The criticism have been loud after Chicago failed to address the defensive line in a significant way this offseason, opting to rely on their returning cast of characters, including some who were injured for part or most of 2025. Dennis Allen believes the pass rush has improved, but it's still a long way from where he'd like it to be. Going against Joe Burrow and this Bengals offense will be a big test.
"I think the pass rush has been better, and it still needs to improve," Allen said. "We'll have great opportunity this week against Cincinnati, both in the joint practices and in the game. But I think the pass rush has improved, and I think it will continue to improve."
Will the starters play in preseason?
After the Bears didn't play most of their starters in their preseason opener against the Cleveland BRowns, there are questions about whether quarterback Caleb Williams and co. will see any preseason action this weekend against the Bengals. There's a good chance we won't see a good number of Chicago's starters at all during the preseason. But, according to Ben Johnson, it's all determined by what happens during these joint practices over the next two weeks.
"It depends on what the joint practice looks like for the team," Johnson said. "And there's a certain number of reps we're trying to hit, and we'll see where we're at after the joint practice."
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 7 things to watch in Bears' joint practice with Bengals
