What to watch for in Thursday’s Bears preseason opener

Football is back.

The Bears will take on the Houston Texans on Thursday night in the NFL’s preseason opener. The two teams will square off at 7 p.m. from Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

The Bears have already announced that Caleb Williams and the rest of the team’s starters will not play in the game.

“It’s a great opportunity for the role players on our team,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said.

Here are four storylines to watch Thursday night.

1. Which role players will stand out?

As Eberflus said, Thursday will be for the role players. Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent is going to start the game, but it’s unclear how much Bagent will play. Bears fans will also have a look at third-string QB Brett Rypien and undrafted rookie Austin Reed out of Western Kentucky.

Elsewhere, some of the wide receivers further down the depth chart like Velus Jones Jr. and Tyler Scott could see action. Bears reserve running back Demetric Felton led the Cleveland Browns with 46 rushing yards and a touchdown at the Hall of Fame game last year. He could take on a big role with several other running backs sitting out.

Defensively, undrafted rookie cornerback Reddy Steward has turned some heads in training camp. He was a ballhawk in college at Troy. Fans likely will get a first look at rookie defensive end Austin Booker too.

2. Caleb Williams will still be the star

Even though Williams isn’t playing, the ABC/ESPN broadcast team with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will spend plenty of time talking about him. Same goes for Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, who is also sitting.

The NFL put the Bears in this game for a reason. The league is probably disappointed that Williams won’t make his preseason debut, but teams have rarely played their starters in the Hall of Fame game in recent years.

Williams, the No. 1 overall draft pick, has every eye in Chicago watching him. The preseason broadcasts tend to talk big picture about the direction each team is heading. The ESPN crew will probably address the state of Ryan Poles’ Bears in 2024.

Fans are likely disappointed Williams won’t be playing, but the Bears do have three more preseason games in August.

“He needs as many reps as he can get,” Eberflus said. “You’ve got to be safe, of course.”

3. The new kickoff rule

Thursday night will include the introduction of the NFL’s new kickoff rule. Everyone except the kicker will now line up on the receiving side of the field. The rule aims to make kickoffs more exciting, while also reducing injuries.

Nobody within the NFL is certain how teams are going to go about game planning for kickoffs. Will teams kick it deep or short? Will the new blocking scheme lead to more lengthy returns? There are a lot of unknowns because the NFL implemented this rule without ever testing it in preseason action, as it frequently does with other rule changes.

It could be a big boost for Bears kick return man Jones, who was among the best kick returners in the league in 2022. Last year, though, it was less costly for teams to kick the ball over his head for a touchback.

“It definitely changed the game,” Jones said of the new rule. “[I’m] real excited. Definitely adds value to my game. I got speed, physical, I have size. It’s tough already to bring me down, but giving me a head start?”

4. Any insight into Shane Waldron’s offense

The preseason is always vanilla. The offenses don’t show anything other than basic, fundamental football. There’s not much creativity. Teams save their creativity for the regular season.

Eberflus said he and Texans coach DeMeco Ryans spoke this week and both agreed to keep it simple.

“It’s just basic football, let’s see them play, let them do technique and fundamentals of base things and keep it that way,” Eberflus said.

Still, this will be the first look at new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s offense. How often will the offense be in shotgun vs. under center? How often will there be multiple tight ends on the field? How similar will the offensive line look in the run game?

Bears fans are looking for any insight into this offense, even if Williams isn’t on the field.