The Cincinnati Bengals have decided to keep their starting players, including quarterback Joe Burrow, on the sideline for Saturday’s preseason contest against the Chicago Bears.
Bengals reporter Jay Morrison shared the news Thursday morning. He said head coach Zac Taylor intends to hold out the first-string group no matter what unfolds during the day’s joint practice session with the Bears.
“Zac planning on sitting the starters vs Bears regardless of how today goes,” Morrison reported.
Local station FOX19 confirmed the same outline. Burrow and the top offensive unit will handle their main workload during the Thursday joint practice rather than in the actual game.
The approach draws a clear line between getting ready and sorting out the roster this week. The starters can treat the practice as something close to game conditions. Meanwhile, the preseason matchup itself becomes a longer look at the players fighting for the last spots on the 53-man roster.
This plan arrives one week after Burrow and the first-team offense got a short run against the Detroit Lions. In that 16-14 win, Burrow handled two series and completed 5 of 6 passes for 39 yards.
According to team reports, the starting offense took 13 snaps overall. Burrow worked from under center on seven of those plays and from the shotgun on the other six. His longest completion went for 16 yards to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Running back Chase Brown added five carries for 16 yards before the veterans stepped aside.
The limited action still let the Bengals test some of the offensive adjustments they have stressed throughout training camp.
Thursday’s joint practice offers another chance to create realistic situations without putting Burrow or the rest of the starters into another preseason game. Coaches can set specific down-and-distance scenarios, shift between red-zone work and open-field periods, and make sure the top group gets exactly the kind of snaps the staff wants before wrapping up.
Taylor’s strategy stands in contrast to the one Chicago is using. Bears head coach Ben Johnson noted earlier in the week that his team’s preseason playing-time calls would hinge on how the joint practice went and whether the desired number of repetitions had been reached.
With the Bengals’ starters scheduled to watch from the sideline Saturday, the coaching staff can give more opportunities to players competing for backup roles and the final roster spots. Several younger athletes already made an impression in the opener against Detroit.
Seventh-round tight end Jack Endries hauled in Cincinnati’s only touchdown. Rookie edge rusher Cashius Howell recovered a fumble that helped set up the score. Those kinds of contributions can grow with extra playing time against the Bears.
The same chance exists for reserves along the offensive line, in the secondary and at wide receiver, where the Bengals still need to settle some questions before final cuts.
Taylor’s decision should also make the evaluation process cleaner. Instead of mixing early snaps between starters and depth players, the team can let its reserve units work in longer stretches against another NFL squad.
The Bengals still face a road preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 28. Taylor has not publicly said the starters will sit that one out as well.
For this week, the course is set. Burrow will get his work against Chicago’s defense on Thursday. Saturday’s game belongs to the players still trying to earn a spot alongside him when the regular season begins.
