Chicago Bears Open Thread Question of the Day: Do you want starters to play in the Preseason?

As Ben Johnson said ahead of the Chicago Bears’ preseason game #1, “Preseason games might not count, but that doesn’t mean they don’t matter.”

There is no doubt about that. The preseason games are important for coaches and players alike to get accustomed to game action, practice situational football, and confirm important roster decisions. But Ben Johnson made clear in his first preseason game that he does not necessarily think that playing starters is the best way to prepare them for the regular season.

When asked in the lead up to Sunday’s game, Ben Johnson was asked what his approach was to starting Caleb Williams and other starters:

As you can see, Johnson is not without a plan. However, that plan does not necessarily include starters playing much in the preseason. Since then, opinions have flown in all directions in regards to Johnson’s decision –

Why wouldn’t you start your players on Sunday? They need the reps!

The preseason is just vanilla plays anyways, what good does it serve to play them then?

If Joe Burrow isn’t too good for the preseason, then Caleb Williams sure isn’t!

In Ben we Trust! He has a plan!

This isn’t a cut-and-dry issue, especially given we are all trying to piece information together from afar. But it’s clear that the question of playing in the preseason is a widely debated topic.

So, do you think that the Bears should play their starters in the preseason?

My answer? If it is a yes or no, then my answer is yes. However, there is a lot of gray that fits in between.

I would specifically like the Bears to play their full starting lineup for 1 – 2 quarters, with the intention being that they need to work on specific items. For instance:

• Williams and Dalman need to tighten up their snaps.
• The entire starting offense needs to work on pre-snap procedures and clean up silly mistakes.
• Rookies like Loveland, Burden, and Trapilo need to get used to playing next to starting talent.
• Cornerbacks Nashon Wright and Tyrique Stevenson need reps lining up with the starting back seven.
• Players like Billings, Brisker, and others need to get used to game speed.

I think a lot of this can be accomplished in the cumulation of 1 half of a preseason. But I also understand Ben’s plan for maximizing practice and joint practice reps that allow for them to be more pointed in their practicing. I think Ben is smart enough to balance both of these things and would be surprised if the above points were not already included in his to-do list.

I will say, though, given the reports of Johnson’s hard-nosed practices both internal and joint, it’s getting harder to picture a Bears team entering Week 1 flat-footed like in years past. But whatever ends up happening on Monday night against the Vikings, Ben will either be lauded or ridiculed for his approach. All of the gray areas in the...