Browns release unofficial depth chart for preseason opener at Bears, kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET

The Cleveland Browns will hit the road for their first preseason game of 2026, traveling to Chicago to face the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Saturday, Aug. 15. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on WEWS, according to the team’s announcement released Tuesday.

As part of that gameweek build, the Browns published what it described as an unofficial depth chart for their Week 1 preseason matchup versus the Bears. Unofficial in-season depth charts are commonly used by teams as a baseline for how they plan to distribute snaps across units, but they are not the final word on how roles will settle once practice tempo changes, late-week availability is confirmed, and game-week adjustments are made.

For fans and evaluators, the depth chart matters less as a promise of starters and more as a snapshot of coaching priorities as the preseason begins. In the early slate, teams typically seek clarity about how their first groups function together at game speed, while also using the larger roster picture to identify which players can run assignments cleanly in a live setting.

The matchup also carries a practical roster-building angle for Cleveland. Preseason Week 1 often sets the pattern for how rotations are managed across quarterback throws, defensive substitutions, and special teams work. With an unofficial chart in place, the Browns can better communicate which personnel packages are intended to appear in which order, even as late-week changes remain possible.

Cleveland’s decision to publish the depth chart ahead of the Bears game means the team is starting the preseason with structure rather than waiting for the first whistle to reveal the rotation. That can be useful for players, since preparation can align with expected responsibilities, and for supporters who want to track who is being trusted in certain roles during the first live evaluation stage.

One notable caveat is that preseason depth charts can differ from regular-season positioning, and they may not reflect every player’s final status by the time the preseason closes. Because this is Week 1, the order of units can be particularly fluid as coaches look for consistent communication on defense, clean protection reads on offense, and reliable decision-making in special teams phases.

What to watch next is how closely Cleveland’s on-field execution matches the unofficial chart once the game begins, including whether early first-group sequences resemble what the coaching staff planned in the hours leading up to kickoff. The Bears matchup at Soldier Field will offer the Browns their first real check on preseason readiness and will likely influence the direction of the next depth-chart update as the schedule moves forward.