NFL preseason 2022: Who is playing in Chiefs vs. Bears in Week 1?

This week marks the beginning of the preseason for the rest of the National Football League, with the Kansas City Chiefs traveling to face the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Given that this marks the start of the preseason for both teams, it's likely we will not see too many regular season starters take the field on Saturday.

Here's a breakdown of who we likely will see suit up and take the field for both teams.

Quarterbacks

Patrick Mahomes is tasked with leading the Chiefs back to the Super Bowl this season, and he will get a quarter against the Bears according to Andy Reid. The rest of the quarterback room should follow, with Chad Henne, Shane Buechele and Dustin Crum seeing snaps under center.

Meanwhile for Chicago, there is a possibility that we could see the entire quarterback room take the field. Justin Fields can benefit from extra snaps as he transitions into year two while newcomers Nathan Peterman and Trevor Siemian will look to take command of the backup spot. Both Peterman and Siemian have starting snaps on their resume, so their preseason performance will likely be the deciding factor for the coaching staff.

Running Backs

We should see Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the field since Reid said the starters would play for a quarter. Practice has shown that Ronald Jones might be on the roster bubble, so we could see a good chunk from him if the team wants to evaluate him in a game situation.

David Montgomery is the bonafide starter for Chicago and it's likely we won't see him take the field on Saturday. That leaves Khalil Herbert likely playing as the starter for Week 1 of the preseason, while Trestan Ebner and Darrynton Evans provide carries as the backups.

Wide Receivers

The Chiefs added two notable receiving names in Juju Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdez-Scantling to fill the void left by Tyreek Hill's departure. It sounds like we will get them for a quarter as well, which would likely also include Mercole Hardman. Rookie Skyy Moore has been getting rave reviews out of camp and should get plenty of time after the starters get their quarter.

For Chicago, Week 1 of the preseason should be the start of trying to identify what they actually have at the receiver position. Allen Robinson departed for the Los Angeles Rams and N'Keal Harry reportedly suffered a severe ankle injury in practice after being traded from the New England Patriots. The Bears are extremely limited at the wideout position, so the preseason should identify who will emerge as the next man up. Byron Pringle is nursing a quad injury while Dante Pettis is also nursing a “day-to-day” injury.

Tight Ends

Travis Kelce enters the 2022 season as the Chiefs' premier receiving threat. He doesn't need to play, but could play with the starters asa Reid mentioned. Blake Bell and Noah Gray should get run on the field after he finishes.

Cole Kmet could see some snaps on Saturday as he looks to bounce back from a 2021 season where he finished with a goose egg in receiving touchdowns. Behind Kmet on the depth chart will be Ryan Griffin and James O'Shaughnessy. With Chicago's offense arguably being one of the weaker rosters in the league, perhaps the tight end group can preview some production heading into the new season.

  
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