Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus said some starters, including quarterback Justin Fields, will play when the Tennessee Titans arrive for the preseason opener at Soldier Field.

Bears coaches planned to assign snap counts on an individual basis depending on team and player needs.

Here are four things to watch for as the Bears prepare to open the 2023 preseason Saturday (noon, FOX).

Fields won’t likely get extensive playing time, but the Bears still felt it was important for him to get on the field.

Eberflus wants to see Fields run the operation smoothly, from being crisp getting in and out of the huddle to making all the protection calls and adjustments.

The Bears certainly are conscious of preventing an injury to their most important player. Eberflus said the Bears will be cautious with Fields, considering both the type of play calls and who is playing on the offensive line in front of him.

“It kind of falls back into the chemistry thing, right?” offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said. “Getting that group, kind of for the first time, having that experience for the first time. (Rookie right tackle Darnell Wright), just to put him in a uniform, get up, hear the huddle call, hear the cadence. All that stuff is invaluable, so let’s go get a crack at it. It will be good to get things started out the right way.”

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Getsy’s previous coaching stop was with former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who hasn’t played in the preseason in years.

“The biggest difference is you’re talking about a guy that was in Year 17 or whatever the heck it was by then,” Getsy said. “So I think this is just a much different situation.”

Fields played 18 snaps in the 2022 preseason opening game, completing 4 of 7 passes for 48 yards, with two sacks and a 10-yard run.

Rookie defensive tackle Gervon Dexter isn’t looking at Saturday as a preseason game.

“It’s my first NFL game,” Dexter said. “I’m prepared for it. I’m just ready to compete. I’m going to showcase my talents.”

Bears fans finally will get a glimpse at the rookie additions in game action, starting with Wright, the No. 10 overall pick from the NFL draft this spring who will start at right tackle this season, and Dexter, the second-rounder who has had flashes of promise during his two weeks of training camp.

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Dexter and second-round cornerback Tyrique Stevenson are trying to push for starting spots. Third-round defensive tackle Zacch Pickens, fourth-round running back Roschon Johnson, fourth-round wide receiver Tyler Scott and fifth-round linebacker Noah Sewell all should look to showcase what got them drafted and make an impression on coaches. (One of the few who might not get that chance Saturday is cornerback Terell Smith, who had been competing with Stevenson but missed practices this week with an undisclosed injury.)

Scott said he has been putting off thinking about his first time playing on an NFL stage because he doesn’t want to get too jittery. So what does he want to show?

“That I know what I’m doing,” he said. “Just making sure that I’m aligned the correct way, making sure when I’m motioning I’m in the right landmarks, making sure in the running game I’m taking the right angles, meeting the blocker in the right areas. That’s all preparation things, knowing the playbook inside and out so you’re ready.”

Jack Sanborn knows what can be earned from big preseason performances.

The Bears linebacker was an undrafted rookie out of Wisconsin last summer when he first made an impression with his performance in the preseason opener. Sanborn had five tackles, an interception, a tackle for a loss and a fumble recovery against the Kansas City Chiefs last August.

He made the team and went on to play in 14 games, making six starts, as one of the successes of a difficult season. It’s not just rookies looking to earn their spot on the team Saturday.

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“It’s a real opportunity for a lot of people, and I was a big example of that,” Sanborn said. “So I know how important the preseason is and how important it is for so many guys throughout the league.

“It’s guys fighting for jobs, guys fighting for their careers.”

There should be ample opportunities for playing time as many starters who have missed practices with injuries could sit out, including linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, safety Jaquan Brisker, defensive end DeMarcus Walker and offensive linemen Lucas Patrick and Nate Davis.

The players aren’t the only ones using the preseason game for practice. Eberflus, in his second preseason as a head coach, still sees it as a valuable tool to fine tune the coaches’ operations.

Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel, in his sixth season there, will let Titans assistant head coach/defensive line coach Terrell Williams be the head coach for Saturday’s game against the Bears. Williams told reporters Vrabel had the move in mind for months.

“He told me, ‘You can’t get experience being a coordinator without being a coordinator, and you can’t get experience being a head coach without being a head coach, so here you go,’” Williams said. “I believe and I hope that more teams will follow suit and do this, just to give guys experience.”

Eberflus applauded Vrabel’s decision, noting it is right for where the Titans are at this time.

“Where we are at the Chicago Bears right now, I just feel that we need to have everybody in their responsibilities so that we can polish up our stuff as we get going,” Eberflus said. “This is our first preseason game. And then we need to polish it up as we go and then get ready for that first game.”