Chicago Bears cornerback Reddy Steward (46) celebrates his interception, which was returned for a touchdown, during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann
AP

The preseason is over. The Bears beat the Kansas City Chiefs 34-21 in the final preseason game on Thursday night in Kansas City, Missouri.

Caleb Williams and the Bears’ starters were not used, nor were any of the Chiefs’ starters. Instead, Bears replacement Tyson Bagent took over the starting role for the Bears.

Coach Matt Eberflus’ Bears finish the preseason with a perfect 4-0 record. The Bears open the regular season on September 8 against the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Here are the key takeaways from Thursday’s season finale.

Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent leaps to the pylon to score a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of an NFL preseason game, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
AP

1. Fast night for Tyson Bagent

Bagent only had the ball twice, the first of which was a 73-yard touchdown drive capped off by his own 5-yard touchdown run.

Bagent came into training camp as the clear No. 2 quarterback behind Williams. His preseason solidified his place as the leading backup. Bagent threw two touchdowns against Cincinnati last week and then led the scoring drive to start Thursday’s game. The Bears lost the ball during Bagent’s second possession on Thursday.

At that point, Eberflus decided he had seen enough of Bagent. The 24-year-old quarterback completed 3 of 6 passes for 57 yards, including a 44-yard pass to receiver Nsimba Webster on a rollout to the left. Bagent also ran 5 yards on the Pike touchdown attempt.

Third-string quarterback Brett Rypien took over for the rest of the first half. Undrafted rookie Austin Reed played quite a bit in the second half. Reed threw a touchdown pass to tight end Tommy Sweeney in the third quarter.

2. Punt return is a question mark

The Bears don’t seem to have quite figured out who their punt returner will be. Receiver DeAndre Carter had the first chance to make punt returns on Thursday, but his night was capped by a bad mistake.

Carter, whom the Bears signed this summer as a return specialist, dropped a first-half punt inside the 10-yard line. Carter moved forward, in front of where the ball would land, and collided with Kansas City’s Cole Christiansen. Christiansen pushed Carter backward, and Carter’s cleat struck the football – making it a live ball.

The Chiefs pounced on the football and were able to intercept it on a special teams takeaway. It was an unexpected mistake by an experienced punt returner.

The Bears have played their last preseason game and still don’t seem to have a clear idea of ​​who will be the punt returner in Week 1. Cornerback Josh Blackwell and receiver Dante Pettis appear to be the two favorites for the job, along with Carter and cornerback Greg Stroman.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun (13) fights as Chicago Bears defensive lineman Daniel Hardy (92) defends during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
AP

3. Reddy Steward shines with 2 picks

Bears undrafted rookie cornerback Reddy Steward had a great night. Steward had two interceptions, including a pick-6 touchdown late in the first half.

The first goal came just moments after Carter botched the punt. The Chiefs took control inside the 10-yard line. On the second attempt and goal from the 3-yard line, Steward jumped in front of a Chiefs receiver and intercepted a pass to give the Bears momentum back.

Later, in the final seconds of the first half, the Bears put good pressure on Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun and Steward got in front of receiver Mecole Hardman. The ball was easy for Steward, who had nothing but green grass in front of him. He ran the ball back 48 yards for a touchdown.

Steward was a ball-hunter in college at Troy. In 60 college games, he recorded a total of 9 interceptions.

4. Velus Jones runs for a 39-yard touchdown

Undrafted rookie running back Ian Wheeler of Howard University saw a fair amount of action at running back in the first half. He and third-year pro Velus Jones Jr. have split time at the back end of the running back depth chart.

It was notable that Wheeler had some runs before Jones, but that might not mean anything. Wheeler finished the night with 5 yards on 5 carries.

In the second half, Jones took over the star role at running back. Jones, who had recently switched from wide receiver to running back, took a pitch from Reed and, with a burst of speed, hit an open gap. He pulled back across the middle of the field and stormed past the entire Chiefs defense for a 39-yard touchdown.

Jones finished his night with 111 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.

5. Injury updates

Bears tackle Larry Borom left the game in the first quarter, apparently because of a leg injury. Borom had to be carried off the field. Since the regular players were sitting out, Borom was the starting left tackle on Thursday.

Borom is one of the few remaining players on the roster drafted by the previous front office. The 6’5″, 330-pound tackle will likely be the Bears’ best backup tackle when healthy. He has played in 39 games and started 23 times in his first three NFL seasons. Borom’s loss could be a blow to the depth of the Bears’ offensive line.

Shortly after halftime, Bears safety Douglas Coleman had to be taken off the field on a stretcher. The entire Bears team moved to the other side of the field as Coleman was taken off the field. Coleman appeared to react to the medical staff as he was taken away on the stretcher.