Five Things to Watch in Cincinnati Bengals' Preseason Game Against Chicago Bears

Thursday’s joint practice against the Chicago Bears will mark the final competitive action the Cincinnati Bengals starters will have against opposing players until the Sept. 13 season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor confirmed Thursday that Joe Burrow and the starters will not see action Saturday night against the Bears at Paycor Stadium. They also aren’t expected to play next Friday in the preseason finale at Philadelphia.

But that doesn’t mean Saturday’s game is without intrigue.

Here are five things to watch:

Return Game

While Dohnte Meyers has turned heads as a receiver, the true path for the CFL import to make the 53-man roster is going to involve he can be both dependable and explosive as a returner.

The battle between Meyers, Charlie Jones and Ke’Shawn Williams to be the sixth receiver on the roster is mostly going to be determined by what they do as kick and punt returners.

Jones had just one receiving target in 2025 and one in 2024.

Yes, the Bengals would like to get more offensive action out of the person holding down that spot, but it’s not a hard and fast prerequisite.

Last week, Williams handled both kick returns, one of which was an impressive 48-yarder, while the other went for 25.

Each of the three had a punt return, with Meyers going for 11 yards, followed by Williams (7) and Jones (0). Jones and Meyers also had fair catches.

Tahj Brooks

We know Chase Brown won’t play, and Samaje Perine only logged four snaps in the preseason-opening win against the Detroit Lions, so expect Tahj Brooks to get a long look against the Bears.

Brooks had two drops in the game against the Lions, and being dependable as a receiver is a required trait for a running back in the Cincinnati offense.

He finished with one catch for eight yards on three targets and only had one carry for 1 yard, so expect to see a lot more of the 2025 sixth-round pick, who is still largely an unproven after getting just 16 carries and two targets as a rookie last season.

Defensive Backs

The Bears are expected to play their starters, which means the Bengals’ backup cornerbacks and safeties are going to get a strong test from Caleb Williams and the rest of Ben Johnson’s talented offense.

Safety Russ Yeast has played himself into consideration for a spot on the 53 and had an interception last week against Detroit.

Ja’Sir Taylor is likely a lock to make the roster due to his special teams play, but he could take a step toward unseating Jalen Davis as the starting nickel. Bralyn Lux is making a strong case as well.

And we’ve seen DJ Ivey fill in for Dax Hill and make a few plays against Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. He’ll have a chance to solidify his standing as CB3 against the Bears.

Rivers’ Return

After the preseason opener in 2025, the Bengals decided they had seen enough of rookie Jalen Rivers at tackle and moved him to guard. Every rep he had the rest of the season and in the 2026 offseason has been at guard.

But after last week’s game against the Lions, the coaches informed Rivers they are going to take a long look at him at left tackle with the swing tackle job in flux.

Neither Cody Ford, Javon Foster nor Andrew Coker has moved any closer to winning the job, so Rivers is next in line for the opportunity. Expect him to get a lot of action against the Bears, including a starting opportunity to go against Chicago’s top edge rushers for a couple of series.

Missing Jerseys

While Taylor announced the starters won’t play, that group usually includes the top backups as well.

As a result, you can get a good feeling for where a guy stands on the depth chart based on whether he’s dressed in uniform for the game or wearing Bengals pro shop apparel on the sideline.

There are 22 starters on offense and defense. Don’t be surprised if the “did not play” list on the official game book includes closer to 36 names.

It’s also worth paying attention to which players are still in the game from the midway point of the third quarter on. That’s not usually a good sign for making the 53-man roster, although tight end Tanner Hudson appears to be safe and still played into the fourth quarter of last week’s game.

Some names are exempt due to sheer numbers or their experience. Rookie offensive lineman Brian Parker, for instance, played a team-high 17 snaps in the fourth quarter last week and he’s a lock to make the roster.

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