Bears Beat Browns 27-10 in NFL Preseason Opener as Watson Returns, Keenum Stars, Williams Sits

On Saturday, August 15, 2026, the Chicago Bears defeated the Cleveland Browns 27-10 at Soldier Field in Chicago’s 2026 NFL preseason opener. Deshaun Watson started the first half for Cleveland in his return from injury, while Case Keenum led two second-half touchdown drives after backup quarterback Tyson Bagent opened for Chicago and franchise quarterback Caleb Williams rested. Kicker Cairo Santos added a 51-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter and a 49-yarder in the fourth.

Kickoff was 1:00 p.m. ET on NFL Network. Cleveland took an early lead behind Andre Szmyt’s 50-yard field goal and a 14-yard touchdown run by receiver KC Concepcion, but the Bears rallied in the second half to win by 17 on their home turf.

Editor’s note: This article draws on reporting from AP News, Chicago Bears.com, Cleveland Browns.com, USA TODAY Sports, Chicago Sun-Times, and CBS Sports game data, August 13–15, 2026.

How the game unfolded

Detail	Information
Date	Saturday, August 15, 2026
Venue	Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.
Week	NFL Preseason Week 1
Kickoff	1:00 p.m. ET
National TV	NFL Network
Final	Bears 27, Browns 10
Quarter lines	CLE 3-7-0-0, CHI 0-10-14-3

Cleveland struck first in the opening quarter when Andre Szmyt connected from 50 yards, giving the Browns a 3-0 lead with 7:42 remaining.

The Browns extended their advantage early in the second quarter. KC Concepcion took an end-around 14 yards for a touchdown — a play upheld on review — and Szmyt’s extra point made it 10-0 Cleveland.

Chicago answered on its next scoring opportunity. Tyson Bagent found Maurice Alexander for a 25-yard touchdown pass, and Cairo Santos’ kick cut the deficit to 10-7 with 9:16 left in the half.

The Bears tied the game at the buzzer. After a Kenneth Sydnor sack pushed Chicago back, Bagent spiked the ball to stop the clock, and Santos drilled a 51-yard field goal as time expired — 10-10 at halftime.

Chicago seized control after the break. Case Keenum, who replaced Bagent to start the second half, hit Salvon Ahmed on a 49-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, and Santos’ kick gave the Bears a 17-10 lead. Keenum added a 6-yard scoring strike to Brittain Brown with 42 seconds left in the third, extending the margin to 24-10.

Santos capped the scoring with a 49-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, sealing the 27-10 final.

Scoring summary

Quarter	Play	Score
1st	Andre Szmyt 50-yard field goal (CLE)	CLE 3, CHI 0
2nd	KC Concepcion 14-yard rush (CLE)	CLE 10, CHI 0
2nd	Maurice Alexander 25-yard pass from Tyson Bagent (CHI)	CLE 10, CHI 7
2nd	Cairo Santos 51-yard field goal (CHI)	10-10
3rd	Salvon Ahmed 49-yard pass from Case Keenum (CHI)	CHI 17, CLE 10
3rd	Brittain Brown 6-yard pass from Case Keenum (CHI)	CHI 24, CLE 10
4th	Cairo Santos 49-yard field goal (CHI)	CHI 27, CLE 10

Caleb Williams and the Bears’ rest plan

The night’s most closely watched absence was not an injury but a deliberate choice.

Head coach Ben Johnson confirmed before kickoff that Caleb Williams and “a number of” starters on both sides of the ball would not play against Cleveland. Williams, who started all 17 regular-season games and both playoff contests in 2025 during Johnson’s first year as coach, watched from the sideline while backups handled game action.

“I don’t know that I need to see game snaps,” Johnson said of Williams, via Chicago Bears.com. “Do I need to see Caleb Williams in the preseason? No, I don’t. I see him every single day in practice and I know what we’re going to get come the season.”

Johnson emphasized managing total workload across practices and games so the roster stays fresh for the 17-game regular season, which opens September 13 at Carolina. It was the second straight year Williams did not appear in the first preseason game; he played in the following two exhibition games in 2025.

Rather than sit idle, Williams completed an approximately 42-minute scripted workout with other resting skill-position players before kickoff — a session designed by Johnson’s offensive staff to provide meaningful reps without preseason game exposure, per local reporting.

Tyson Bagent started and played the first half. Case Keenum took over in the second half and finished 9 of 10 for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Undrafted rookie Miller Moss also saw action in the fourth quarter.

Browns quarterback rotation

For Cleveland, first-year coach Todd Monken used the opener to advance a quarterback competition that has defined the franchise’s offseason.

Deshaun Watson started and played the first half — his first game action since 2024, per AP News. Shedeur Sanders was scheduled for the second half as Monken alternates starter reps across the first two preseason games; Sanders will start Cleveland’s August 22 home exhibition against Buffalo, with Watson in the second half that week.

Monken told reporters he hoped to get Watson a two-minute drill in the first half against Chicago. Watson’s group built the early 10-0 lead before Chicago’s backups took over after halftime.

Key performances and team stats

Category	Cleveland	Chicago
Total net yards	230	313
Penalties	4 for 30 yards	1 for 5 yards
Time of possession	23:18	16:59

Bears offense

Player	CP/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
Tyson Bagent	13/22	169	1	1
Case Keenum	9/10	151	2	0

Roschon Johnson led Chicago rushers with 8 carries for 34 yards. Ahmed added 17 yards on 2 carries and caught Keenum’s 49-yard touchdown.

Santos went 2-for-3 on field goals, connecting from 51 and 49 yards while missing wide left from 50 in the second quarter.

Position battles on the offensive line

With Braxton Jones sidelined, Johnson rotated Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills Jr. at left tackle by quarter — Amegadjie in the first and third, Wills in the second and fourth. Wills, a 2020 first-round pick by Cleveland, last started an NFL game for the Browns on November 3, 2024, before injuries limited his 2025 season.

What comes next

Both clubs continue a joint-practice-heavy August schedule. The Bears hold a joint session with Cincinnati before their August 22 road exhibition against the Bengals, then practice with Tennessee ahead of a August 28 preseason finale against the Titans.

Cleveland hosts the Bills on August 22 with Sanders starting, then closes exhibition play on the road against Los Angeles on August 28.

Preseason results do not carry into September. Still, Chicago’s special teams edge — Santos’ long field goals bookended a second-half offensive surge — and Cleveland’s early lead that evaporated will shape internal roster conversations in the days ahead.

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Discussion

Saturday at Soldier Field paired a rested franchise quarterback with a backup who led a second-half rally — while Cleveland’s starter got his first live reps in more than a year.

1. Ben Johnson sat Caleb Williams despite Chicago opening the regular season in two weeks. For a second-year coach building around a franchise quarterback, is skipping the preseason opener the right workload call — or should Williams get at least a series before September?

2. Deshaun Watson built a 10-0 first-half lead but Cleveland’s backups could not hold it. How much does a preseason loss matter when evaluating Watson’s return versus Shedeur Sanders in a still-open quarterback competition?

Tell us whether Santos’ leg or Keenum’s two touchdown passes changed how you view the Bears’ depth chart heading into joint practices with Cincinnati.

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