The Chicago Bears are getting set for Saturday’s preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns and head coach Ben Johnson finally made the announcement regarding which players will play, and which players will not, in this game.

For starters, quarterback Caleb Williams will not be out there. Tyson Bagent will start in his place and will play roughly the entire first-half. It’s a big showcase for him to continue building his case to be a starting-caliber quarterback with another team one day.

As for the rest of the team, Johnson said they will also sit a number of the starters in this specific game, but Saturday’s plan at left tackle is the biggest takeaway.

Kiran Amegadjie expected to start Saturday’s game at left tackle

“Our plan is to start Kiran [Amegadjie] first quarter,” Johnson told reporters on Thursday. “We’re looking to alternate him and Jedrick [Wills] throughout that game based on the quarters. Hopefully get an equal number of snaps right there for those two guys and we’ll continue to reassess where we’re at at that position as we go.”

This is a big opportunity for the former third-round pick getting the nod over Wills, who I honestly expected to see starting in this game against his former team that drafted him in first-round a few years back. Instead, the Bears are putting the ball in Amegadjie’s court to show what he can do right from the jump.

Over the last few days of practice – since Thursday – Amegadjie and Wills have been rotating at the left tackle spot while Braxton Jones was sidelined with a knee “flare up.” The hope is Jones will return soon and be full go for next week’s game. In the meantime, the Bears will get plenty of film to assess on Saturday between Amegadjie and Wills.

“We just want to see guys compete,” Johnson added. “We want to see guys playing fast. It’s all of it. It’s run game, it’s pass game. I don’t think there’s anything specific. We want to see consistency level of play and see guys go out there and compete.”

Kiran Amegadjie is down to his last opportunity to earn his place on this team

Amegadjie has quickly turned into the latest third-round bust under general manager Ryan Poles, mostly due to factors outside of his control. He was drafted to be a developmental prospect – and coming off a torn quad – so no one expected to see immediate progress out of him.

However, we’re now entering into Year 3 and Amegadjie hasn’t been able to showcase much while also having to deal with multiple different injuries over the last three years. So far, he’s been making the most of the opportunities he’s still been given this offseason.

“I’ve seen improvement from last year,” Johnson said of Amegadjie. “And yet, there’s still glimpses of where we need consistency to be a little bit better. I think we felt that – we talked about Tuesday being a big day for the team and we came away from that is some of these guys got hot, fatigued, and got tired. We gotta continue to fight through.”

Like a few other Bears’ offensive linemen, Amegadjie spent time this offseason working out with former five-time Pro Bowler Terron Armstead, who helped the young tackle get mentally and physically prepared to prove himself once training camp opened. Getting this opportunity on Saturday proves he’s done just that.

“I love where he’s at though,” Johnson explained. “He’s working hard. He’s got a better understanding of the offense, that’s clear. You can tell his confidence level continues to rise each practice he’s out there.”

It hasn’t been perfect, and Johnson alluded to that with his desire to see more consistent play. Saturday’s game will be Amegadjie’s golden opportunity to really put things fully together and prove to this staff that he belongs on this team in some capacity.