Bengals DT Dexter Lawrence had words for Bears’ Caleb Williams

The Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears held a joint practice on Thursday. The session gave both teams a chance to see how prepared they compared to the competition. It also allowed players to see opposing teams’ stars in action, including Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.

The practice quickly became heated, with several skirmishes reportedly occurring. The food news is cooler heads prevailed and no untoward incidents happened after players were separated

Lawrence enjoyed a solid 2025 season, recording 31 combined tackles consisting of 17 assisted and 14 solo efforts. He appeared and started in all 17 regular-season matchups. Williams, on the other hand, completed 330-of-568 passes for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner led the team to an 11-6 record to win the NFC North.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) warms up prior to an NFC Wild Card Round game against the Green Bay Packers.

Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams receives praise from Bengals star Dexter Lawrence

Lawrence shared his thoughts about Williams’ joint practice performance. He praised the 24-year-old’s game but expressed satisfaction for how Cincinnati competed.

“He’s a competitor and I think he’s a special quarterback,” Lawrence said. “In the middle of the practice he caught fire, but we came back and fought.”

Williams and the Bears will return to action on Saturday. They will play their second preseason game at Paycor Stadium to take on the Lawrence and the Bengals. However, it’s unclear if they will both play as coaches tend to give backups more run to prove their worth.

Chicago is coming off a 34-10 win over Cleveland Browns last Saturday. Head coach Ben Johnson decided to sit Williams to keep him fresh for the regular season. Meanwhile, Lawrence and Cincinnati defeated the Detroit Lions 16-14 at home. The defensive tackle participated in three snaps during the first series. It’s unlikely that he’ll see more minutes versus the Bears should Zac Taylor decide to field him.