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Set to rest starters against Dolphins, Ben Johnson, Bears ‘feel very good’ about preseason plan

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Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson walks on the field during training camp at Halas Hall.

When Ben Johnson calls plays from the sideline for the first time in a game as the Bears’ coach on Sunday, he’ll do so without Caleb Williams and most of the first-team offense on the field.

“There’s going to be a number of guys that aren’t playing in this game,” Johnson told the “Hoge and Jahns” podcast.

Johnson said that Williams will be among nine offensive starters who won’t play against the Dolphins in the exhibition game. Nine defensive starters will also sit out. Quarterback Tyson Bagent will get the start.

“We’ve talked about it as a staff,” Johnson told reporters Friday at Halas Hall.. “We feel very good about this plan going forward, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

That plan, of course, included a two-hour practice against the Dolphins. The starters received the bulk of the reps.

“We have a number of things scheduled around the game for those guys that aren’t playing,” Johnson said on the podcast. “Whether it’s the day before or the day after, we’re actually going to end up getting more reps for them than they would have had we played them week one in this game. I’m actually really excited about that.”

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Williams will get some on-field work early in the morning ahead of Sunday’s game. It’ll happen three hours before kickoff.

“We’ll get a good throwing session with Caleb and the pass catchers,” Johnson said.

The Bears have another joint practice scheduled for next Friday at Halas Hall with the Buffalo Bills before the teams meet at Soldier Field the following Sunday. The Bears conclude their preseason against the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 22.

“I would suspect that we will have them play at some point (in the preseason),” Johnson said. “But that’s to be determined.”

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