The Chicago Bears are in their fourth week of training camp, and they will face their next big challenge with the Buffalo Bills and the reigning MVP, quarterback Josh Allen, coming into town.
Allen and the Bills will visit Halas Hall for a joint practice, just as the Dolphins did before the preseason-opening tie in Week 1. Buffalo presents a much different challenge for Chicago than Miami did, though, and it is more than just Allen.
For the Bears, it could prove to be a telling test of just where they are as a team.
Bears’ Next Major Test Leads News & Updates
Bears Bracing for Bills
The Bears sent a strong message in the joint practice, bringing a level of physicality that some contested the Dolphins were unprepared for. However, the Dolphins have also never been known as a physical team under current head coach Mike McDaniel.
That is not the style of football that McDaniel coaches, nor the kind of personnel the Bills have.
The Bills reached the AFC Championship, and they did it with the physicality of Allen leading the way.
Buffalo ranked second in scoring and 10th in total offense during the 2024 regular season. Allen and Co. will present a stiff test for the Bears’ defense. It is a group openly looking to send a message to the league that they will be physical.
It will be interesting to see how that plays out in practice.
The Bears will not be able to sack Allen, but they will be able to get to him in the passing game and test the effectiveness of their rush.
Moreover, how they handle the Bills’ running game will also be telling. Buffalo should have James Cook, who led the league with 16 rushing touchdowns in 2024, back in the mix after he apparently ended his hold-in on Tuesday.
The Bears’ offense is in a similar situation.
The Bills’ defense ranked 11th in scoring and 17th overall, while the Bears are still not working as a cohesive unit consistently, per head coach Ben Johnson.
Both sides of the ball are under the microscope for the Bears. Is their defense as toothsome as they seemed in joint practice and their preseason opener against the Dolphins? Can the Bears’ offense get out to a better, faster start against a Bills’ defense that ranked similarly to Miami’s in points allowed but was far worse in total yards surrendered?
Perhaps the biggest question is whether or not either team’s starters will play on Sunday.
Johnson has emphasized joint practices and the controlled environment they provide. It would not be surprising to see the Bears’ starters play very little, if at all, in Week 2.
Bears Make Flurry of Roster Moves
Tuesday marked a day of transition for the Bears, as they parted with several players, making room for multiple newcomers.
The Bears waived second-year former undrafted wide receiver John Jackson, a friend of quarterback Caleb Williams, and rookie UDFA kicker Jonathan Kim. They also waived rookie UDFA safety Major Burns with an injury designation.
Chicago also placed veteran corner Shaun Wade on injured reserve.
In their places, the Bears signed Mark Perry, Mekhi Garner, Millard Bradford, and Kaleb Hayes, all of whom are safeties.
The Bears still have all four of their top safeties, but needed camp bodies after they also waived Ameer Speed. They filled his roster spot with running back Brittain Brown. Teams have a 90-player roster limit until the end of the preseason, when they must drop to 53.
Caleb Williams Raises Awareness About Charity
Williams shared a post and message for “#BearsNation,” urging them to “check out page 143 in the @ChicagoBears 2025 yearbook” to learn more about his Caleb Cares Foundation.
Caleb Cares’ mission is to “prevent bullying, shining a spotlight on mental health and empower young people.”
“Caleb Cares envisions a world where mental health is as important as our physical health,” the section goes on to say. “A world where our youth are empowered to reach their full potential. A world where young people thrive in school, free from bullying, filled with compassion, kindness and empathy.”