Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts gear up for joint practices

After weeks of lining up against the Chicago Bears offensive line during training camp, Bears defensive tackle Andrew Billings figures he knows exactly what he’s going to get from center Cody Whitehair, and vice versa.

So Billings is excited to add a little mystery to the mix this week as the Bears travel to joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts in Westfield, Ind. During two sold-out public sessions Wednesday and Thursday nights at the Grand Park Sports Complex, Bears players will test themselves against new opponents as they prepare for the second preseason game Saturday in Indianapolis.

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“It’s real,” Billings said when asked whether players were enthused. “You can play a little harder when it’s not your own teammate, basically.”

Bears coach Matt Eberflus and his staff had planned to meet with Colts coach Shane Steichen and his staff Tuesday to map out practices, from the tempo to the matchups they want to see.

Eberflus described it as a “big week” for a player like rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who will have to adjust to defending a new set of players at the NFL level after spending so much time against Bears wide receivers like DJ Moore and Darnell Mooney in training camp.

“It’s really cool because you get to cover and go against different skill sets,” Eberflus said. “We’ve been going against the same guys. DJ has been lining up against Jaylon (Johnson) and he has been lining up against Stevenson. Now we get to line up against (Michael) Pittman (Jr.) and those guys, so it’s pretty cool. … There are some pretty good players over there, and so it’s going to be an exciting week.”

Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said the work is beneficial because it’s against a different defense but still in a “controlled environment” to help lessen the risk of injury.

“Your quarterback is still wearing a different-colored jersey,” Getsy said. “But everything’s happening faster and it’s a different opponent, so you get to play the game speed.”

Bears quarterback Justin Fields played two series in the preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans, completing all three of his passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Eberflus wants to see more of Fields in the preseason, but wasn’t ready to say Monday whether he will play Saturday in the game against the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.

But Fields will get work in during the practices.

Fields participated in the Bears’ last joint practices when they hosted the Miami Dolphins in 2021 under former coach Matt Nagy. They last traveled for practices to meet the Denver Broncos in 2018.

“We’ll probably do more stuff than in a preseason game,” Fields said. “So I’m excited to see those different looks and know they’re probably going to make it challenging on our offense. It’ll be good for the guys.”

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The Bears meet up with the Colts at a newsworthy time for their opponent.

Steichen announced Tuesday that rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, whom the Colts drafted with the No. 4 pick this spring, will be their starter this season instead of Gardner Minshew. Richardson completed 7 of 12 passes for 67 yards and an interception in his NFL preseason debut last week against the Buffalo Bills.

For newcomers to joint practices like Richardson, one thing to know is things can get chippy, a reality the teams talk about ahead of time.

“The biggest thing about joint practices is we don’t want any fights,” Billings said. “Things are going to happen. Guys are going to get emotional. You might throw somebody to the ground or somebody might throw you to the ground, but the most important thing is staying calm and no fights.”

The Bears-Dolphins practices in 2021 featured a scuffle between Khalil Mack and Adam Shaheen, who by then was with the Dolphins.

“You have to toe that line, know when to bring yourself back a little bit,” right guard Nate Davis said. “It’s going to be fun out there for sure.”