The expectations for the Chicago Bears are sky-high in 2026 after a division-winning debut season for head coach Ben Johnson in 2025, and a miraculous second-half comeback in an epic NFC Wild Card Round win against division arch-rivals, the Green Bay Packers.
In order to keep those expectations alive and well, much will depend on the form and healthy of franchise quarterback Caleb Williams, who enters this season as a top MVP candidate given the way he finished off last year.
As such, Johnson has decided that Williams will not play any part in the team’s preseason bout against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, and that backup Tyson Bagent will start in his stead.
“Status updates for Preseason Week 1:
â #Chiefs coach Andy Reid said QB Patrick Mahomes wonât play in the preseason game vs the #Rams.
â Coach Ben Johnson says #Bears QB Caleb Williams wonât play Saturday. Tyson Badget will start vs the #Browns.
â #Rams coach Sean McVay says QB Stetson Bennett will start vs the #Chiefs. QB Ty Simpson will also play.” Rapoport reported on Thursday.
Caleb Williams to Sit out Preseason Opener v.s. Cleveland
Despite 2025 being Williams’ coming-out party in many ways, his statistical numbers did not differ substantially in 2025 from his promising but not astonishing 2024 season.
His passer rating only went up by 2.3 points from 87.8 to 90.1. Whilst he threw for 7 more touchdowns and rushed for an additional three, he also threw an extra interception and ran for 100 fewer yards in 2025.
Moreover, many of the statistics that the bears excelled in and helped propel them to success later on in the season may not be automatically repeatable. The Bears surrendered the fewest sacks in the NFL last year, but the retirement of Drew Dalman and injury to emerging left tackle Ozzy Trapilo could put a big dent in that.
It is equally not clear that; sans running backs coach Eric Bieniemy â who left to retake his role as offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs, with teams tape on now-second year pro Kyle Monangai, and with veteran back D’Andre Swift now being a year older; the Bears’ third-placed team-rushing finish can be emulated once more.
Although Johnson has already addressed the fact that his team are the top candidate to regress this coming season, the former Lions OC has some very lofty goals for the coming season.
“I want more than the Super Bowl. I want to have the highest-scoring offense ever, which happens to be the 2013 Denver Broncos. I know how many points per game they scored (37.9), and I want to surpass them. I want shutouts. I want blowouts.” Johnson said on Wednesday.
There is no doubt that in real terms winning a championship would more than suffice for Chicago’s head coach, but Johnson appears to be more than reaching for the stars with his publicly-stated desires for the coming season.
How realistic those goals are will become more apparent as the season goes on. Yet, for Saturday, it will be the Tyson Bagent show to start off the season.
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