5 Takeaways from Bears' 21-17 Hall of Fame game win vs. Houston Texans

The NFL preseason has officially kicked off, and the Chicago Bears are 1-0. Sort of. The Bears got the victory over the Houston Texans in the 2024 Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, winning 21-17 in a storm-shortened matchup. The game was called due to inclement weather with 3:31 left in the third quarter while the Bears were leading.

Almost all of the starters on both teams were spectators, most notably quarterbacks Caleb Williams and CJ Stroud, meaning it was the backups time to shine. Each team put together multiple scoring drives, with the Texans jumping out to an early 10-0 lead. Chicago stormed back thanks to veteran quarterback Brett Rypien and eventually took the lead early in the fourth quarter before play was stopped.

Though this was just the first preseason game with very few consequences, there were still a handful of things to glean from the victory. Here were our takeaways from Thursday night.

1. The NFL made the right decision to end the game early

This is the Hall of Fame game, not a Week 6 divisional matchup. The Bears and Texans got through nearly three quarters of football, with almost all of the reserves seeing playing time. There was no need to wait it out a couple of hours to try and resume play with the rain barreling down. Even if it took 30 minutes of waiting to finally reach that decision. It was a good game by both teams that had very few injuries. Why take a chance when the field was already slick? They made the right call.

2. Collin Johnson is the first "feel good" player of the preseason

What a game for Collin Johnson. The 6-foot-6 receiver had a cup of coffee with the Bears last season, but he officially introduced himself with an incredible performance on Thursday evening in front of a national audience. Johnson caught three passes for 56 yards and two touchdowns. His best catch was on a jump ball, where he high-pointed the ball over a defender for 27 yards. He nearly had another had he not lost control of the ball when going to the ground.

Johnson has had a long journey, bouncing around from different teams while dealing with major injuries. This game was special to him, and while he's still a longshot to make the team, he's going to cherish this performance for a long time.

3. Let's not anoint Tyson Bagent as QB2 just yet

For the majority of the offseason, it has felt as if Tyson Bagent was the clear-cut backup quarterback to Williams, with veteran Rypien and undrafted rookie Austin Reed fighting for the final spot. That might not be the case after what transpired in Canton. Bagent got the start and was fine in limited snaps, but Rypien was the star of the game, completing 11-of-15 passes for 166 yards and three scores with a quarterback rating of 148.9.

There was clearly a comfort level between Rypien and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. They weren't afraid to push the ball downfield, and it resulted in Chicago getting the win. Bagent hasn't done anything to lose the job per say, but there is still a long way to go before the depth chart is finalized. Bagent was able to go from QB4 to QB2 in a matter of weeks in 2023. Rypien is certainly capable of moving up the depth chart as well.

4. Don't read too much into Roschon Johnson's and Khalil Herbert's reps

You could replace Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert with pretty much anyone at this point, but these two backs generated the most buzz amongst fans on social media during the first half. Johnson officially got the start, and Herbert entered in relief for the next series before Johnson returned later on. Johnson carried the ball six times for 24 yards, while Herbert rushed four times for 35 yards. Many speculated what this could mean for either player's job. The reality is it doesn't mean much of anything yet.

D'Andre Swift is the clear-cut starter after he signed a lucrative deal in free agency, with Johnson and Herbert behind him in some order. Players like Ian Wheeler and Demetric Felton bring up the rear of the running back depth chart, but Wheeler was hurt and Felton just signed on Sunday. The truth is they didn't have many options on Thursday and needed to lean on Johnson and Herbert. The rest of the preseason will be a better indicator about which player has the upper hand for the backup role. Not the Hall of Fame game.

5. Velus Jones Jr. is not the clear-cut kick returner

Thursday's preseason opener was the official debut of the NFL's new kickoff rules, which is a significant change over the old format as players are lined up in parallel lines and cannot move until the returner catches the ball. With neither team's starters playing, the new format was arguably the biggest draw of the game for casual NFL fans.

The overall consensus is that it really didn't seem to make a difference, as most returns ended up at the 25-yard line anyway, but Bears fans were surprised that Velus Jones wasn't one of the returners fielding kicks. That could mean his role has already been secured, but head coach Matt Eberflus refuted any such certainty. "I think it's wide open," Eberflus said in the postgame press conference when asked if Jones' role was secure and mentioned around eight players getting reps at that position.

Jones is a wild card on offense, and the kick returner role felt like his best chance to contribute. Not seeing him on the field and then hearing Eberflus talk about a wide open competition make it seem his status is in doubt at this point in time.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 Takeaways from Bears' 21-17 Hall of Fame game win vs. Houston Texans