Will Caleb Williams, Bears Starters Play in Preseason Week 3 vs. Titans?

Here's what we know about the status of Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears' starters for the preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) calls a play in the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When the clock strikes zero in the game against the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night in preseason Week 3, it'll be time for the Chicago Bears to turn their attention to roster cuts and then the regular season.

The Bears have had an eventful week after having a heated joint practice with the Titans on Thursday. Now, players on the roster bubble will have one more opportunity to show they belong in Chicago's preseason finale.

But are we going to see Caleb Williams and at least some of the Bears' starters in this contest as well? Let's dive into the details and see what we can figure out.

Will Caleb Williams, Bears starters play?

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) stands on the sidelines during the second half in the game against the Cincinnati at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We cannot say definitively either way, as head coach Ben Johnson did not confirm his plans for the contest, which he also didn't do in the previous two preseason games, one of which Williams and the offensive starters played in (preseason Week 2).

However, we do know that Williams and Co. played in the final exhibition contest last year. We also know that the defensive starters appeared in preseason Week 3 in 2025, also.

The difference between last year and this one is that the Bears did not have a joint practice before their preseason finale in 2025 and it's very possible Johnson viewed the Titans practice this year as a replacement for the final preseason reps.

That said, given the simple fact that the Bears' starters played in the preseason finale last year, we can't rule them out doing so once again in 2026.

We didn't know whether or not Williams and the Bears starters would play last week right up until kickoff, and we'd expect the same to be the case on Saturday night.

Cutdown day looming

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson stands on the sidelines during the second half in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Once the Bears turn the page from their last preseason contest, the team will be focused on making roster cuts to get down to 53 players by the Aug. 30 deadline, which falls at 5 p.m. CT.

The Bears find themselves at a slight disadvantage as compared to most teams, as Chicago's Saturday night game means they will have less time to make those final decisions for the initial 53-man roster than those teams that played on Thursday and Friday.

We could get a good idea of which players are safe before then by looking at who does and doesn't suit up for the contest against the Titans.