The Chicago Bears took on the Tennessee Titans in the final preseason game before the Sept. 13 opener against the Carolina Panthers. This was the final opportunity for bubble roster players to show their stuff ahead of Sunday’s final cuts. The 2026 season is expected to be a winning year for the Bears, so only the players who are deemed truly deserving are going to make it.
Head coach Ben Johnson and his staff knew coming into camp who was going to be the starting quarterback, and who the top weapons for him would be. Four-fifths of the offensive line was set, too, with the left tackle position being a battle throughout.
Nobody came into the third preseason game as a lock for a Week 1 starter. This was a complete evaluation of the middle and bottom
of the roster. There are things that still need to be worked on throughout the regular season, but their chance to practice against real opponents is in the rearview mirror.
The Bears defeated the Titans, 24-15, in what was a complete performance from the offense and defense. They found ways to score points, despite not having starters, and the defense made it difficult for the Titans to make plays.
Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum were the primary quarterbacks for the Bears in this one, and they did their job. That is especially true for Bagent, who completed 17-of-18 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns for a 156.9 passer rating.
One player on offense who made multiple notable plays was rookie wide receiver Zavion Thomas. That included one 97-yard touchdown reception where his ability to make a move cleared him from a cornerback, and his speed allowed him to be free of the safety chasing after him.
The defense was much better in this game than they were against the Cincinnati Bengals a week ago. In the preseason, it is hard to gauge what that truly means because each team is running different things at all times during this time of year, but it appeared like they had a good showing as they made plays, stops, and didn't allow the Titans to do whatever they wanted.
Terell Smith was magnificent as a cornerback in this game. If there was a time for him to step up so he could potentially make the team, it was this game. With the injury struggles that the Bears faced during camp and the preseason, they needed multiple players to step up. We will soon find out if he did enough to be one of the final roster additions after returning from an injury.
Tennessee didn't use many of their day-one starters either, which adds an asterisk to the dominant performance on both sides of the ball, but the schemes that make Ben Johnson successful were on display, despite it being an exhibition game. For Smith and everybody else, the final cuts will make clear what they thought of certain performances throughout.
That is it for the Chicago Bears in the preseason. The next time that fans will get a chance to see them play will be in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers. From that point on, the games will matter as they begin their quest to repeat as NFC North champions.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Instant analysis of Bears' preseason win over Titans
