Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears fell against the Cincinnati Bengals in their second preseason game, with Caleb Williams and most of the starters playing one series.
The Bears defense got more playing time. It did not matter, as the Bengals rolled to a 27-9 victory and the Bears’ struggled to move the ball after their 1s’ opening drive stalled out in a field goal and their reserve units failed to build any real momentum all night.
That, a new injury concern, and a potential reunion opportunity all in this Bears news roundup.
Bengals Beat Bears to Lead News Roundup
Bears Lose in Caleb Williams’ 2026 Preseason Debut
Williams was 2-for-5 for 28 yards on his lone drive, leading the Bears’ offense to within kicker Cairo Santos’ range. Santos was the team’s MVP on the night, finishing 3-for-4 on his field goal tries, with his only miss coming from beyond 50 yards.
That range should be makeable in today’s NFL. But if nothing else, Santos and the field goal unit was the least of the Bears’ issues on the night.
Their biggest issue, if it can be called that in a preseason game, is their starting defense.
The unit allowed a group of Bengals backups to march down the field with relative ease, converting multiple third-and-long situations in the process. They ultimately buckled down in the red zone, but it was hardly a desired sight in what might be their final preseason exposure.
The same can be said about the Bears’ offense getting bogged down and Williams’ accuracy woes. So, neither first unit had its best night.
Again, though, this is a preseason game (i.e., a vanilla game plan) following what was a spirited joint practice.
It remains to be seen if Bears head coach Ben Johnson will play Williams or any of the starters in the preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans. That appears unlikely given there is another joint practice session ahead of that contest.
Bears Lose Another Player to Injury
The greatest loss came not on the scoreboard, though it did happen on the field. Linebacker Nephi Sewell suffered a leg injury. It was significant enough to command a ride on a cart back to the locker room area and draw strong reactions from his teammates.
Sewell’s brother, Noah Sewell, was among those who came onto the field to console him and offer condolences.
Noah is recovering from a ruptured Achilles and is on the physically unable to perform list.
The Bears have suffered a number of injuries to key players this summer. That includes starters in safety Coby Bryant (knee), who is expected to miss most if not all of the season, and wide receiver Luther Burden III (groin).
Burden was in attendance for the contest and appeared to be in good spirits. He could be heard saying after the preseason opener that he is feeling fine, which is encouraging.
Linebacker has been hit by injuries, too.
At different points this spring and summer, they have been without T.J. Edwards, Ruben Hyppolite II, D’Marco Jackson, and remain without rookie Keyshaun Elliott.
Former Bears Fill-In Starter Released
The Bears could be a fine rebound destination for Nick McCloud, whom the Miami Dolphins released on Saturday. He appeared in 15 games for the club in 2025, starting four of them. Now, the Bears went 1-3 in those games, and McCloud struggled getting acclimated to a new position at nickelback.
Still, his familiarity with the defense and ability to line up in different spots is valuable. That is at the back end of a 53-man roster or on a practice squad.
The Bears have injury and depth concerns in their secondary.
This is a team looking to surpass their 2025 season, in which they reached the Divisional Playoffs. Even if McCloud is not the answer, the Bears have one more game to assess whether their current depth at corner is sufficient.
