Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the rest of the Chicago Bears starters will not play in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game against the Houston Texans on Thursday (7 p.m., ABC-7, ESPN).
Coach Matt Eberflus determined he was satisfied with the reps his starters have gotten in training camp and decided to hold them out of the extra exhibition game, played a week before the rest of the NFL starts its preseason.
The Bears still will use the game in Canton, Ohio, to get some work in for their backups. Here are four things to watch as they kick off the preseason.
Tyson Bagent and the backup QBs
Tyson Bagent will start as he prepares for his second season as the Bears backup quarterback. After starting four games last season as an undrafted rookie while then-starter Justin Fields was injured, Bagent said he feels increased comfort and command this training camp.
Aside from “grinding my absolute face off” to get ready for this season, Bagent said he worked on his football IQ and continued to strengthen his throwing abilities as he looks to back up Williams. And this game, as simple as the plays might be as a preseason game, will continue that.
“You can’t learn enough,” Bagent said of his offseason work. “There’s a million options on every single play, so being able to home in, lock in and understand the game at a better pace. And being able to obviously continue to get better at throwing year in and year out. To be in the NFL, you have to be a dynamic thrower, so continuing to home in on that skill as well.”
The game also should feature new quarterback additions Brett Rypien and Austin Reed.
Rypien, 28, joined the Bears to be their veteran presence in the quarterback room. He has played in 10 games, with four starts, over the last four seasons with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams.
Reed is an undrafted rookie who threw for 8,084 yards and 71 touchdowns in two seasons at Western Kentucky.
New kickoff rules
When Bears returner Velus Jones Jr. first heard about the NFL approving new kickoff rules for this season, he thought, “There’s no way that’s real.” Because he’s certain the new guidelines, meant to prioritize safety while also encouraging more returns, will lead to more big plays on his end.
“It definitely adds value to my game,” Jones said. “I’ve got speed, am physical. I have size. It’s tough already to bring me down, but giving me a head start? … I feel like it’s just bringing that excitement back to the game, and that’s what everybody wanted to see.”
Before a weekend that will honor Hall of Fame return man Devin Hester, the Bears and Texans will be the first to test out the rules in a game.
The 10 members of the kicking team beyond the kicker line up at the opposing 40-yard line. The receiving team, except for two returners, must set up between its 30- and 35-yard lines. No players except for the kicker and returners can move until the ball is hits the ground or a player.
Fair catches are eliminated. Any kick that lands in the landing zone — between the goal line and the 20 — must be returned. Kicks that hit in the landing zone and go into the end zone may be returned or downed and placed at the 20. Kicks that hit in the end zone and are downed or roll out will be placed at the 30.
Special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said he has received a bunch of texts from other coaches saying they will watch the game with interest to see how the rules unfold. And Hightower will be watching the preseason closely to see how other teams experiment with them.
“The unknown is what everybody is excited for,” Hightower said. “What I expect is a lot more returns. I know the players are extremely excited about it. I know we’re extremely excited to coach it and see what it is to be a part of something that’s basically revolutionizing the game.”
Rookie time
Williams and rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze, the No. 9 pick in the draft, won’t play Thursday. Third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie, an offensive tackle from Yale, also won’t play as he continues his recovery from a quad injury.
But other rookies will see time, potentially including punter Tory Taylor, their fourth-rounder, and defensive end Austin Booker, their fifth-rounder.
Defensive coordinator Eric Washington said Booker has shown in camp during some reps with the starters that he’s tough to hit as a pass rusher.
“He has a great feel for how to contort his body, how to flip or rotate his hips and shoulders so that he can keep advancing toward the quarterback and put himself in great position to follow through,” Washington said.
Booker, who played his last season at Kansas, said he wants to use the preseason to continue to show he belongs and can dominate at the highest level.
Washington’s directive for Thursday is simple: “I want to see him hit the quarterback. Period. … I want to see him use his speed and everything that he’s been working on that’s been poured into him so far, the investment that he’s made. I want to see him put himself in position to hit the quarterback and take the ball away from him.”
Along with Reed, the Bears also are likely to feature a crop of undrafted rookies.
Cornerback Reddy Steward, from Troy, has taken reps with the first team at nickel while Kyler Gordon is out with injury.
Wide receiver John Jackson, Williams’ former USC teammate, and tight end Brenden Bates, from Kentucky, are among the rookie offensive skill players who could see time.
Who’s the depth?
General manager Ryan Poles has made a point of saying he thinks this roster will be a lot more difficult to make than in his last two seasons in Chicago.
Most of the starting pieces are secured, and positions like wide receiver and cornerback have a lot of depth to them. So will anyone seize a spot — or more playing opportunities — with their play this preseason?
Wide receivers such as second-year player Tyler Scott, Jones and Collin Johnson could receive those opportunities over the next month. Behind the secondary starting five, there’s a host of players looking to prove themselves, including cornerbacks Terell Smith, Josh Blackwell, Jaylon Jones, Greg Stroman and Steward and safeties Elijah Hicks and Adrian Colbert.
Washington has seen that talent and depth show up in the secondary.
“Just the fact that we’ve been getting some hands on some balls and we’ve been in position to take the football away,” Washington said. “That means you have to really play with the right leverage, you have to execute our coverage, you have to do some things as it pertains to disguise and not giving the quarterback information. You can see the experience. You can feel that experience.”
