Five Chicago Bears non-starters to watch during Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Houston Texans

The Chicago Bears announced on Tuesday that the team will be resting the starters during Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Houston Texans.

Second-year quarterback Tyson Bagent will be getting the nod to start the game at quarterback, surrounded by a cast of young players looking to prove themselves.

Leading up to Thursday's game, here are five non-starters who are currently in a heated positional battle during training camp that will be must-watch players.

1. WR Nsimba Webster

The fifth-year wide receiver is needing to make up some ground in a big way on Thursday if he wants to have a chance to make it off the practice squad and onto the 53-man roster for the Bears this season.

Nsimba Webster missed some valuable time during training camp this week, but was able to return to the field on Tuesday. The Bears wide receiver room is incredibly crowded and the missed time on the field really hurt Webster's stock on the roster.

If Webster can show off his connection with Bagent and the other quarterbacks who take snaps on Thursday, he can look to change that narrative. Webster's speed as allowed him to make some preseason plays before and he should get plenty of playing time against the Texans.

2. CB Reddy Steward

This week at practice has been huge for undrafted rookie cornerback Reddy Steward. With nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon off the field this week, the rookie defensive back got some first-team looks in his position and was able to shine.

Steward was able to intercept a pass from starting quarterback Caleb Williams on Saturday and has managed to record a few pass breakups as well. Steward should be in line to be with the starting defense on Thursday with the actual starters not playing.

If he's able to get his hands on some passes against the Texans' quarterbacks and maybe even come away with a turnover, he can keep building on the momentum toward securing a backup role on the 53-man roster.

3. DE Austin Booker

Another rookie defender who got some chances to practice with the first-team defense this week during training camp was fifth-round rookie pass rusher Austin Booker. Booker has received great reviews all offseason and will finally be able to show off in a real game later this week.

Mainly playing as a rotational piece in Kansas' defensive front in college, Booker could be used in a featured role if fellow edge rushers Montez Sweat and DeMarcus Walker don't suit up. If that's the case, expect to see a lot of Booker and veteran Jacob Martin early in the game. Booker especially is eager to prove himself starting this week.

“I feel like I still can compete at this level,” Booker said . “I'm at the same level as all the other guys or better. Just getting in and showing I belong and showing I can dominate at the highest level is a big thing. I think I've shown that at this camp."

4. RB Demetric Felton

The Bears signed running back Demetric Felton onto the roster at the start of the week to add some fresh legs to the room prior to the start of the preseason.

We found out this week that fellow running backs Travis Homer and UDFA rookie Ian Wheeler were also a little banged up and missed time during practice. While he's got a high hill to climb, a strong showing on the ground from the fourth-year back could help push his name up the depth chart.

We're talking about a guy who's averaged 9.5 rushing yards per attempt in his career with the Cleveland Browns before coming over to Chicago. Felton could be a preseason star if he takes advantage of his opportunities and racks up carries on the ground. This week, he'll also get a chance to put on a show in the Hall of Fame Game for the second season in a row.

5. OL Theo Benedet

Offensive lineman Theo Benedet is another undrafted rookie who will be aiming to use Thursday's game as a launching point to separate himself in a loaded position .

The Bears were quick to sign Benedet as a UDFA after the draft came to an end and offensive line coach Chris Morgan is especially fond of Benedet. At the University of British Columbia, Benedet shined during the Shrine Bowl last year but returned for the 2023 season and continued to dominate.

Benedet believes he can play multiple positions up-front for the Bears and hopefully the coaching staff uses Thursday's game as a trial run at different positions. If he's able to hold his own and dominate, his stock will only continue to rise.

Related: Bears rookie believes he's a 'sleeper' on defense and continues to take advantage of key opportunities in training camp