Bears bench Caleb Williams for preseason opener: Why Chicago protects its star QB against Cleveland

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has confirmed that quarterback Caleb Williams will not play in the team's preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns on Aug. 15. Backup Tyson Bagent will start under center instead, a decision that reflects a broader strategy of protecting key starters during the exhibition season.

The announcement, made during Johnson's media availability at Bears training camp on Aug. 13, highlights a philosophical divide between the two coaching staffs. Cleveland's Todd Monken plans to deploy his starters extensively, including quarterback Deshaun Watson, while Chicago prioritizes evaluation of depth players.

Why is Caleb Williams sitting out the preseason game?

Johnson offered a straightforward rationale for keeping his franchise quarterback on the sideline.

Do I need to see Caleb Williams in the preseason? No, I don't. I see him every single day in practice, and I know what we're going to get come the season.

The coach emphasized that the team has specific workload targets for its players, which can be met through practice reps rather than game action.

There's a workload and a number of reps that we want to hit as a team. And so we'll make sure we even that out, whether that's game reps or not.

Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, led Chicago to an 11-6 record and an NFC North title in Johnson's first season as head coach. The Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers in the wild card round before falling to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime during the divisional playoffs.

Who will play quarterback for the Bears against the Browns?

Tyson Bagent, the fourth-year backup, will start and is expected to play approximately one half. Bagent has appeared in 12 career games, though only seven over the past two seasons since Chicago selected Williams.

Johnson indicated that several other starters will also sit out the matchup, though he did not specify which players.

There will be a handful of guys that aren't participating in this matchup. And, yet, I think we're going to get some good evals of the guys who are out there and make sure that we have enough to go win this game.

Jedrick Wills Jr. returns to face his former team

One notable player who will see action is offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., a former first-round pick of the Browns. Wills signed with Chicago in the offseason after sitting out the 2025 season to fully recover from a knee injury. He will serve as the No. 2 left tackle against his former club.

Browns take the opposite approach with Deshaun Watson

Cleveland's coaching staff has adopted a markedly different preseason philosophy. Monken announced Aug. 12 that Watson will start against the Bears and play through the first half. Shedeur Sanders, who is competing with Watson for the starting job, will start the second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.

We're going to see both of them. One's going to start this week and one's going to start next week, and we're going to play them about a half each.

Monken said he wants each quarterback to get a two-minute drill opportunity before halftime, with the same plan applied the following week.

Offensive line decisions remain fluid for Cleveland

The Browns' first-team offensive line will tentatively feature Spencer Fano and Tytus Howard at tackle, Zion Johnson and Teven Jenkins at guard, and Elgton Jenkins at center. However, Monken acknowledged that Chicago's lineup choices could influence how long his starters remain on the field.

I think it'd be unfair to our quarterbacks, either game, to not have our guys up front to give our quarterback a chance to function, so that'll be predicated on what the Bears do a little bit. Now, if they play their starters for three quarters, we're not going to do that.

Injury concerns mount for Cleveland

The Browns have dealt with multiple injuries during training camp, affecting both offensive and defensive lines. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger and cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell have all missed practice time over the past week.

What does this mean for the regular season?

Johnson's decision signals confidence in Williams' readiness without game reps, a growing trend among NFL teams with established starters. The Bears' approach prioritizes long-term health over short-term evaluation, while Cleveland uses preseason snaps to resolve its quarterback competition.

Both teams will finalize their rosters and strategies ahead of the regular season, with the preseason serving as a controlled environment for player assessment and injury management.