CHICAGO, Ill. (NBC Chicago) -- Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson said quarterback Caleb Williams and other starters will play vs. the Buffalo Bills Sunday.
Johnson made the announcement during a Wednesday press conference at Halas Hall.
“Our starters are going to play. Everyone’s going to play,” he said.
Williams and the Bears worked out on the field prior to their game Sunday vs. the Miami Dolphins, but most starters did not suit up for the game itself, with Johnson saying that the team got more benefit out of not playing in the game.
“I've been pretty consistent with the thought of reps. Reps are the most important thing to get. Get him up to speed. And, by the plan that we had a week ago, we were able to get him probably somewhere between 80 and 100 more reps than we would have been able to do had he played in the game,” he said.
In Sunday’s tie against the Miami Dolphins, the only Bears starters who played were tight end Colston Loveland and a pair of players involved in position battles, as Tyrique Stevenson started at cornerback and Braxton Jones started at left tackle.
This week, the Bears will again hold a joint practice against the Bills on Friday, but they will have their starting groups begin the game against Buffalo at Soldier Field, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.
Most of the focus will naturally be on Williams, who is learning a new offense after spending his rookie season under former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and former interim head coach Thomas Brown.
Johnson has been actively working with Williams to install the Bears’ new offense, with fans hanging on his every throw during workouts at Halas Hall.
Now, Williams and company will take the field on Sunday night, though it’s likely they won’t run many plays from their full playbook, as the team is looking to retain some mystery ahead of their season opener against the Vikings on Sept. 8.
Sunday’s game will air on Fox.
