The Browns still don't know who their quarterback is. The Bears do, and he's coming off a breakout year. Chicago hosts Cleveland for both teams' preseason opener on Saturday, August 15.
Bush’s Picks
CLECHI
CLECHI
OverUnder
Best BetBears
Chicago brings far more continuity into this one — Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson are building on a division title, while Cleveland still doesn't know who's throwing the ball. That gap in stability is worth something even in a preseason opener where starters barely play. Lean Bears here, though don't expect either team's front-line talent to be on the field long enough to settle it.
Browns
+Won last 2 games of 2025 season to close it out
+Sanders reportedly closing the gap on Watson in camp
+Retooled WR room (Concepcion, Boston, Jeudy) drew praise this spring
−No resolved starting quarterback heading into camp
−Got blown out 31-3 by this same Bears team in December
Bears
+Won NFC North and first playoff game since 2010 in 2025
+Caleb Williams trending up under Ben Johnson's system
+Blew out the Browns 31-3 in their last meeting
−Season ended with a divisional-round loss to the Rams
−Ben Johnson says passing-game route detail still needs work
−Gordon (soft tissue) and Odeyingbo (Achilles) both managing issues
This one's really about Cleveland. Todd Monken has been splitting first-team reps between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders all spring, and neither guy has separated. Expect that rotation to keep going deep into August, with Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green fighting underneath for a roster spot. On the other sideline, Caleb Williams enters year two with Ben Johnson looking like a completely different quarterback than the one who stumbled through his rookie season, and Chicago has far less to sort out at the position.
Keep an eye on health notes on both sides before this one. Denzel Ward (neck) and Quinshon Judkins (ankle) were both limited during Browns minicamp, while questionable tags for tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and receiver Jerry Jeudy are worth tracking early in camp. Chicago's got its own list to watch, with corner Kyler Gordon managing a soft-tissue issue and edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo working back from an Achilles injury. None of that screams marquee Week 1 exhibition, and the market treats it that way too — preseason openers rarely move much.
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CLE Browns
CHI Bears
The bigger story for Cleveland is what's missing entirely: Myles Garrett. The Browns shipped their five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher to the Rams this offseason, and now Jared Verse, Carson Schwesinger and Ward have to carry a defense that used to run through one of the best players in football. Chicago, meanwhile, gets to defend an NFC North title and its first playoff win since 2010 — a much sturdier foundation heading into a preseason tune-up.
Cleveland Browns
Chicago Bears
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These two actually met in December, and it wasn't close — Chicago rolled Cleveland 31-3 in a game the Browns would like to forget. The Browns did finish that season on a two-game heater, beating the Steelers and Bengals to close things out, so there's at least a sliver of momentum heading into camp. But this Bears team has real continuity: Williams and Johnson spent an entire offseason building on a year-one relationship that already produced a division title, and that kind of chemistry doesn't evaporate in a preseason opener.
Cleveland Browns
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Chicago Bears
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Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
None of it will be decided Saturday. Starters typically play a series or two in preseason openers, and the real audition is for Cleveland's QB room and the fringe roster guys on both sides trying to make a 53-man cut. But for Browns fans starving for clarity at quarterback, this is the first live look at Watson and Sanders under real game conditions — and that alone makes it worth flipping on.
