4 Bears position battles to watch in preseason game vs. Bills

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The Chicago Bears are set to face the Buffalo Bills for their second game of the preseason following a 24-24 tie with the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 — during which head coach Ben Johnson kept his starters on the sideline.
Johnson said earlier in the week that those who didn't see action against the Dolphins will take the field vs. the Bills. Not only does this give the Bears' starters a chance to get their legs warm before the regular season, but it also helps sort out a handful of position battles that are still up in the air.
Here are four position battles for Chicago to keep an eye on during Week 2 of the preseason:
Left tackle
The Bears spent the offseason attacking one of their biggest weaknesses from last season: the offensive line. While they were able to bolster the interior through free agency and trades, GM Ryan Poles and Chicago had to wait until draft night to look for outside help at tackle.
The Bears took tackle Ozzy Trapilo early in the draft, with the 24th pick of the second round. Trapilo has all of the measurables, standing at 6-foot-8 with an arm length of 33-inches, but has had an up-and-down preseason camp. Following the Bears' joint practice with the Bills on Friday, Johnson said 'there's no doubt' that Trapilo looks more comfortable at right tackle.
Chicago's incumbent starting left tackle, Braxton Jones, 26, is still in the mix to reclaim his job. The 6-foot-5 veteran finished last season with the 21st best overall blocking grade at his position (out of 140 tackles). On 719 snaps, he allowed five sacks and was called for seven penalties. Reliability has been Jones' Achilles heel, missing 11 games over the last two seasons. Jones also had a few mistakes during the Bears' Week 1 matchup against Miami.
Also in the mix are two second-year tackles in Kiran Amegadije and Theo Benedet. Amegadije has struggled some on the field in his young career, has allowed one sack and been called for five penalties on just 126 snaps. Benedet may have jumped Amegadije in the battle due to an impressive camp and an Amegadije injury. Offensive line coach Dan Roushar has praised Benedet's camp performance, saying he's 'put himself in a position to go compete for a job somewhere in this group."
Johnson has made it clear to the media that he's in no rush to decide on a starting left tackle, adding the battle may even stretch into the regular season.
Backup quarterback
Tyson Bagent has had the backup quarterback spot on lock since first joining Chicago as an undrafted rookie in 2023. Bagent only appeared in four games last season, and completed both of his passes, but saw action five times in 2023, including four starts. In 2023, Bagent completed 65.7% of his passes for 859 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions. Bagent went 2-2 in his four starts.
Last week against the Dolphins, Bagent completed 13-of-19 passes for 103 yards, one touchdown and a pick. Bagent wasn't the only quarterback to see action and make a mark for the Bears, as their newest QB addition in veteran Case Keenum completed 8-of-10 passes for 80 yards and two scores.
Keenum's preseason statline was impressive, and he provides something as a backup QB that Bagent doesn't have: experience. This will be Keenum's 12th season in the NFL, and he has 66 starts in his career. Keenum also provides playoff experience, as he led the Minnesota Vikings to a divisional-round win over the New Orleans Saints in 2017. But Keenum is also day-to-day with a leg injury, which could give Bagent a chance to pull away.
Starting quarterback Caleb Williams is expected to see action vs. the Bills, so Bagent and Keenum's performances with less snaps than the previous week could make a significant impact in the Bears' QB2 battle.
Outside cornerback
It's obvious to every Bears fan that Jaylon Johnson will always be the CB1 and will be tasked to guard the opposition's No. 1 offensive threat. But who will be playing on the other side of the field at CB2?
Last season, the second outside cornerback spot was occupied by Tyrique Stevenson. Despite a strong start to the 2024 season, his infamous jawing towards Washington Commanders fans, leading to his assignment catching a Hail Mary, put his job security in jeopardy. Stevenson started 14 games last year, logging two interceptions and 12 pass breakups. It seems like Stevenson's character issues have continued under the new coaching staff, as he's been sidelined multiple times for fighting in practice.
In Stevenson's absence last season, Terell Smith stepped in and made some solid plays. Smith started just two games but totaled four pass breakups and an interception. But Stevenson's biggest opposition is free-agent addition Nahshon Wright, who's had an impressive camp, all while spending a lot of time going against the starters.
'[Nahshon's] done a great job of putting everything together, technique, mindset and movements,' defensive backs coach Al Harris said. 'He has a high ceiling, you can see the talent there. He has the size so he's just got to make the plays.'
Third linebacker
The Bears have their two starting inside linebackers locked up and are lucky enough to have T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds returning to start next to each other. But who will be the strong side linebacker?
Noah Sewell has been in the Bears' linebacker room since 2023, while Amen Ogbongbemiga will enter his second year with Chicago. Sewell made one of the biggest plays in the Bears' matchup vs. the Dolphins last week — a fourth down stop in the red zone when he stood up Jaylan Wright in the backfield, pumping Johnson up on the sideline. Ogbongbemiga left last week's game early with a shoulder injury after making just one tackle.
The newest member of the room is rookie Ruben Hyppolite II, who was one of three Bears to tally a team-leading four solo tackles against Miami and recorded an interception during joint practice vs. the Bills on Friday.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Bills: Chicago position battles to watch in preseason game