Chicago Bears’ Ben Johnson makes final Caleb Williams decision for Bills preseason battle

To the dismay of many Chicago Bears fans, head coach Ben Johnson decided to rest Caleb Williams and many of the starters for their preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins. But those fans won’t have the same issue when the Bears take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 2.

Johnson has announced that the starters will play against Buffalo, via the team’s Wednesday press conference. It’s not yet known how much time they’ll actually see. However, the Bears will at least finally get their first taste of what their roster as a whole looks like against real live competition.

Coach Johnson announced that starters will play in Sunday’s preseason game against the Bills pic.twitter.com/3SbDitj4O4

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 13, 2025

While it’s a preseason matchup, playing against the Bills will be a strong test for the Bears. Chicago’s defense, spearheaded by three sacks from Austin Booker, put on a show against the Dolphins. But now they’ll be facing off against reigning MVP Josh Allen. With players like Montez Sweat, Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards back in the fold, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will fully understand how his unit stacks up against one of the best.

On the flip side, Buffalo is no slouch on defense and just added Joey Bosa to their ranks. It’ll be a true test for Williams on the offense. How they perform will shape the national narrative around the team. If Williams proves he has a strong grasp of Johnson’s offense, the Bears’ arrow will only shoot up.

What to watch for in Chicago Bears’ second preseason game

Williams, Williams and more Williams. The quarterback will make or break Chicago’s season. It might just be one preseason game, but the Bears franchise star needs as many reps as he can get.

Elsewhere on offense, the left tackle battle should start to take form against the Bills. Whoever earns the starting nod will be in the driver’s seat entering Week 1. But both Braxton Jones and Ozzy Trapilo must prove they can hang. An impressive performance against the Bills might win the competition for either tackle.

Chicago will be further implementing their rookies into the offense. Fans should keep their eyes on Colston Loveland and Luther Burden to see how they operate with Williams under center.

It’s not yet known if players like Kyler Gordon or Jaylon Johnson will suit up, it seems unlikely at least the latter will. But with Sweat, Edwards, Edmunds and numerous defensive starters back, the Bears can really bring the pressure. They’ve had an aggressive identity on that side of the ball all offseason. If that carries over to when most of the starting unit is playing, it’ll be telling of Chicago’s intentions in 2025.

Of course, like any preseason game, it should all be taken with a grain of salt. But after banging the table to see Williams in action, Bears fans have now gotten their wish granted.