4 Questions for the Bears at Their Joint Practice With the Bengals

The Chicago Bears are set to share the practice field with the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, two days ahead of their preseason Week 2 matchup. The reps they get in this session will be some of the most valuable reps of the summer as coaches, especially Bears head coach Ben Johnson, treat these joint practices like a live game.

While practice will be closed to the public, Bears fans should look forward to reports immediately after the end of the session. Both of these teams are expected to vie for a Super Bowl berth in 2026, making this a prime 'iron sharpeneth iron' opportunity. There's also the inevitable quarterback comparison, and even an intriguing storyline hanging over from the Bears' thrilling Week 9 win over the Bengals a year ago.

Here are four questions in particular that Bears fans would like to see answered in this joint practice.

1. Will the Bears' tough practice habits bother the Bengals as much as the Dolphins?

Montez Sweat and Joe Flacc — Chicago Bears DE Montez Sweat hits Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Flacco. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

After a joint practice with the Miami Dolphins last year, one Dolphins player called out the Bears for what he believed was 'fake' toughness. Offensive lineman Aaron Brewer seemed to think Chicago's intensity in that session was merely performative, but it showed up in their preseason game when the Bears' backup defense held the Dolphins' starting offense out of the endzone on a goal line stand.

You can expect the Bears to bring that same energy to joint practice with the Bengals, especially after we saw fights break out at Bears practice on Tuesday. The only question then is whether the Bengals will match the Bears' tempo or wilt under the heat.

2. Is Caleb Williams set to join Joe Burrow in the upper tier of quarterbacks?

The last time the Bears had a joint practice session with the Bengals was in 2024, when Bengals reporter Jeremy Rauch delivered high praise for Caleb Williams, then a rookie. Of course, we know now how that season went for the Bears, but this team could not be in a more different place than it was two years ago. Rather than seeing how a rookie quarterback measures up to a Top 5 guy like Joe Burrow, Bears fans will be wondering whether Williams is in fact ready to join Burrow in the uppermost tier of quarterback rankings.

Of course, nothing of the sort can be decided in an afternoon in August. However, given Williams' growth and development last year, it's a fair question to ask, and discovering which quarterback has the better day will likely be the most pressing issue to emerge from this joint practice.

3. How will the Bears' banged-up secondary handle a high-flying pass offense?

Chicago Bears CB Tyrique Stevenson signs autographs during Training Camp. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's been a tough training camp for the Bears in terms of injuries, especially in the secondary. It started when the Bears were hit with a worst-case scenario by Coby Bryant's injury, one that will sideline him for 4-6 months, and only got worse. Xavier Woods and Cam Lewis have both been banged up, though they appear to be healthy once again, but Tyrique Stevenson hasn't been seen at practice since last Tuesday's scrimmage, according to Bears reporter Adam Hoge of CHGO Bears.

This could be a big problem for the Bears in this joint practice. The Bengals' passing offense is potent, especially with Burrow on the field, and this short-handed secondary will likely struggle covering three-time All-Pro Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

4. Will Colston Loveland twist the knife with an encore performance?

One has to wonder if there will be any bad blood lingering between these two teams. They're not division rivals nor even in the same conference, but the Bears handed the Bengals a backbreaking loss last year, courtesy of a 58-yard catch-and-run touchdown by rookie tight end Colston Loveland in the game's closing moments.

As aforementioned, these teams are not rivals, but one has to imagine that a loss like that stuck in Cincinnati's craw for a bit. Will Loveland once again dazzle with some more flashy plays during practice? Or will Cincinnati's defense try to salvage some pride by keeping him on the ground?

Sign Up For the Bears Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Chicago Bears Newsletter

Add us as a preferred source on Google