Most starters will sit out Bears’ preseason finale
BY PATRICK FINLEY Staff Reporter August 26, 2013 3:18PM
CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 15: Jordan Mills #67 and Kyle Long #75 of the Chicago Bears line up for a play against the San Diego Chargers at Soldier Field on August 15, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Chargers 33-28. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Updated: August 26, 2013 4:22PM
“Close to all” of the Bears’ starters will sit out the team’s final preseason game Thursday against Cleveland, coach Marc Trestman said today.
“Our hope is most, if not all, will be held out of the game,” the first-year coach said after his team practiced indoors at Halas Hall.
That list might include right guard Kyle Long and right tackle Jordan Mills, rookies who the coach praised today and could start Week 1.
“I haven’t made a decision on the two of them whether we want to get them more work or not,” he said. “But they did very well (Friday against the Raiders). I am not going to hide from the fact that they did very well last week and have continued to improve.
“I’m just not ready to go the distance on exactly what we are going to do as we move forward here.
“I can stand up here confidently and say they played well.”
The preseason’s third game is typically a dress rehearsal for starters, while the fourth game features reserves fighting for a roster spot. Jordan Palmer will start at quarterback for the Bears against Cleveland, which might play a few starters.
“We’re going to work hard this week as if it’s training camp … and then we’re going to rest them and get them focused on Game 1,” Trestman said. “That’s the way we did it when I was up north (in the CFL) and the places that I’ve been.
“I haven’t experienced a lot of different ways of doing it, and it seems to have worked well.”
