Head coach Ben Johnson hasn’t hidden his desire for joint practices during the summer. The value they bring to a team can be immeasurable. After a certain point, there is only so much a team can glean from practicing against itself in training camp. Joint practices allow players to test their mettle against fresh competition, getting a good feel for where they actually are in terms of talent and preparation. The Chicago Bears recently learned their preseason schedule for this coming August. Now, news has surfaced on who their joint practice partner will be.
That is the Cincinnati Bengals. Not a huge surprise. Johnson and head coach Zac Taylor have a relationship that goes back several years, to their time together in Miami. It was easy to make that bridge. This also represents a great opportunity for both teams. They played each other in the regular season, conducting one of the wildest shootouts of the year. Joe Flacco put up 42 points while Caleb Williams compiled 47. This will be a great chance for the Bears’ defense to see if they’ve made any real progress since that game, going against Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The same will be true for a completely revamped Bengals defense.
The Chicago Bears need answers ahead of a big season.
They play the Bengals in week two of the preseason on August 22nd. However, this year it will be different. In 2025, the Bears held two joint practices against the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills. Both were at Halas Hall. This time it will be in Cincinnati at the Bengals’ practice facility. That should be an interesting wrinkle for players. Performing on an unfamiliar field always presents certain challenges. It will also serve as a perfect reminder that Johnson was correct. The team Chicago beat last year won’t be the one they face in this practice.
For one, they’ll be going against Joe Burrow this time. The Bengals star quarterback wasn’t present last season due to injuries. There is also the new presence of Dexter Lawrence. The giant defensive tackle dominated the Bears when they played the New York Giants last season. He was traded to Cincinnati a few months ago. That should present a massive challenge for Chicago’s interior offensive line, particularly for the new centers, Garrett Bradbury and Logan Jones.
🔥 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel to hear Chicago legends tell stories you’ve never seen in headlines — real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.
There is also one added benefit.
Practicing against another team gives the Chicago Bears scouts and front office a chance to see the Bengals’ entire roster up close. That extra information could prove crucial if Cincinnati were to cut a player they liked, allowing them to move quickly to claim them off waivers. It has happened before and led to some beneficial outcomes for the team. This is why joint practices are so popular in the NFL. As the preseason loses relevance due to league schedule changes, this is becoming the preferred method for preparing players for the season.
One thing is for sure. Johnson will have his players ready for war. The Dolphins found that out the hard way last year, accusing the Bears of being way too physical and violent. Well, one team missed the playoffs and fired everybody. The other won the division and a playoff game. Something Miami hasn’t done since Dan Marino retired. If the Bengals are smart, they’ll view this as a great way to get themselves toughened up for the usual AFC North dogfight.
