CHICAGO — Chicago Bears football is back … well, sort of.
The Bears begin their 2025 preseason schedule Sunday at Soldier Field, when they host the Miami Dolphins for a noon kickoff.
The game will be televised on the Chicago Bears Network (Fox Ch. 32), and it will also be broadcast on ESPN AM 1000 radio.
Of course, what most fans want to know going into a preseason game is, “Will the starters play at all?”
Bears new head coach Ben Johnson, who will roam the sidelines at Solider Field for the first time Sunday, said most of them will not when he spoke Friday before the team’s joint practice with the Dolphins at Halas Hall, according to Larry Mayer of Bears.com.
Those not playing Sunday will include second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, Johnson said.
The Bears’ new head coach told the media this week he and his staff have a plan in place for how their starters will get reps as the preseason begins.
“We have in place a plan for, whether it’s pregame or after the game the next day, where the guys that aren’t playing, they’re going to be getting a substantial number of reps that’s actually higher than the guys that are playing,” Johnson said.
“We’ve talked about it as a staff, we feel very good about this plan going forward, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Bears work out former Packers, Lions RB
Running back Jamaal Williams, who’s played for two NFC North teams among his three career stops, worked out for the Bears on Saturday, reported ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Williams played his first four seasons with the Green Bay Packers, who drafted him in the fourth round out of BYU in 2017, then his next two with the Lions, where Johnson was his offensive coordinator for the second season.
Williams was with the New Orleans Saints the last two seasons.
Known as a bruising back who can also catch passes out of the backfield, Williams had his best season in 2022 with the Lions when Johnson called the plays. He rushed for a career-high 1,066 yards and led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns.