Bengals vs. Bears Joint Practice Ft. Zac Taylor & Ben Johnson + Joey Votto Next GM Of The Reds?

Thursday’s joint practice with the Chicago Bears should provide the Cincinnati Bengals with their most meaningful test of training camp yet. Cincinnati will host Chicago on Aug. 20, two days before the teams meet in a preseason game at Paycor Stadium, giving the Bengals an opportunity to test their starters and young players against a different opponent before the regular-season preparation really ramps up.

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For the Bengals, the biggest storyline is the revamped defense. Cincinnati’s front has generated plenty of buzz during camp, and the unit enters Thursday’s work coming off a strong showing in its final practice against itself. The joint session should provide a much better measuring stick, particularly against a Bears offense led by quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bengals have also been getting encouraging work from players such as Josh Newton and second-year linebacker Demetrius Knight, making the practice valuable for players trying to solidify their roles.

On offense, all eyes will naturally turn to Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Tuesday’s practice featured a number of encouraging plays from Burrow and the passing game, including a touchdown connection with Chase, but there were also enough mistakes to give Zac Taylor plenty to emphasize before Cincinnati takes the field against Chicago.

The injury situation will also be worth monitoring. Safeties Dax Hill and Bryan Cook have been sidelined, while Cincinnati has continued to evaluate its depth at several positions. That makes Thursday especially important for players fighting for roster spots and expanded roles.

Ultimately, this is less about “winning” a joint practice and more about discovering how Cincinnati’s revamped roster responds when the jerseys across the line are a different color. The Bengals should get their clearest preseason indication yet of where they stand.

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