Should the Bears Play Their Starters Vs the Titans?

Bears offensive linemen Joe Thuney (62) and Garrett Bradbury (67) work through drills during training camp at Halas Hall on Aug. 25, 2026, in Lake Forest. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

The Bears end the Preseason this coming Saturday, and are currently 1-1. They had a big win against Cleveland, but struggled against Cincinnati.

Since the game against Tennessee will be the last preseason game, the question is whether or not the Bears put in the ones against the Titans?

One of the primary issues that the Bears have faced is injuries. Players are starting to move out of IR and into the questionable status, which is a relatively good sign.

Risking further injury to the starters is not ideal, but getting in-game reps before the regular season starts is also important.

Why the Bears Should Play Their Starters

Obviously, if the starters in play against the Titans, they will be able to get rid of the beginning season rust quicker. This is not a secret to anybody, and it does make sense despite the long regular season.

Take college football, for example. In college football, the first 3 weeks of non conference games is regarded as the preseason, even though it isn't officially preseason.

However, unlike in the NFL, those first few games are normally used for the starters to get rid of the rust. But in the NFL those games are opportunities for depth players to solidify spots on the roster.

If the starters are in the game, they are also able to try out new plays in a low-pressure environment. They would be able to adapt the plays, make adjustments for later on in the season.

This could help the Bears down the line by getting the starters more comfortable with their entire playbook.

The Case for Resting the Starters

On the other hand, the Bears have gone through, enough risk for injury in this preseason. Why risk the starters in a game that is not going to have an impact on whether or not the Bears win the NFC North or make it to the postseason?

Looking at the schedule, they start off with Carolina as the regular season opener, followed by the Minnesota Vikings.

They follow those two games up with a game against the Philadelphia Eagles and a game against the New York Jets.

All of these are winnable games for the Bears, and all of these games are a great to get the rust out at the beginning of the season.

Going back to the Titans, they have one of the youngest rosters in the league, while the Bears have one of the oldest. With that in mind, we could likely see the Titans start their starters in this preseason game in some capacity.

That does not mean the Bears should though, since the Titans have a more difficult start to their season.

The Bears Have a Difficult Decision to Make

This has been a very eventful preseason for the Bears. The combination of injuries and the impromptu signings of free agents to fill spots has caused some chaos. With that being said, that does not mean the Bears should do what the Titans do.

Prior to the preseason, there were a lot of factors indicating that this season was going to be pivotal for the Bears. They made their way back to the top of the NFC North last year and are looking to hold on to that top spot by the end of the year.

This decision on whether or not to start the ones in this final preseason game could have an impact on how prepared the Bears are heading into the regular season. Do the Bears risk playing the starters, or do they risk entering Week 1 with some rust?