Category: Regular Season

The importance of the Bears’ Week 1 opener vs. Titans

The Bears have a chance to start the 2024 season on a high note with a win against the Titans in Week 1.

The Chicago Bears will open the 2024 season against the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field, which gives Chicago a chance to start the season on the right foot.

Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams will make his NFL debut in a favorable matchup, which already feels like a must win during the early part of their schedule.

On the other side is quarterback Will Levis, who the Titans drafted in 2023. The Bears’ defense has an opportunity to make an early statement, which would support the new-look offense on its first day in action. 

Chicago needs to get a win in this game. It would set a positive tone for the start of the season during what’s a favorable slate. Last season, the Bears’ suffered a rough loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 1, which set the tone for what was a rough first half of the 2023 season.

Opening with a win against Tennessee would also help going into a big Sunday Night Football matchup against C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans in Week 2. That will be a huge test against an elite team. Chicago can’t afford a possible 0-2 start.

Chicago Bears 2024 schedule: Downloadable wallpaper

Don’t miss any of the action this season with our downloadable 2024 Bears schedule.

The Chicago Bears released their 2024 schedule last week, which featured some intriguing matchups for the upcoming season.

Chicago will open the season at home against the Tennessee Titans, which will mark Caleb Williams’ rookie debut. For the second consecutive season, they’ll close the season against the Green Bay Packers.

The Bears will play in three prime-time games, which includes a Sunday Night Football contest against the Houston Texans in Week 2. They’ll also face the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football in Week 15 and host the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football in Week 17.

They will also face the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving and “host” the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, both of which will be national games.

To ensure that you never miss any of the action this season, use our NFL Wires downloadable 2024 Bears schedule, featuring DJ Moore, Jaylon Johnson, Cole Kmet and Jack Sanborn.

Bears’ 2024 regular season schedule revealed

The Bears have released their 2024 schedule, which features three prime-time games and opening the season against the Titans.

The Chicago Bears have officially released their 2024 schedule, which features some hotly-anticipated match-ups during Caleb Williams’ rookie season.

In addition to facing their NFC foes twice, the Bears will play the NFC West and AFC South next season, which includes home games against the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars, as well as away games against the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans.

With Chicago finishing fourth in the NFC North, they’ll also face the same-place finisher in the NFC East and NFC South. With that additional 17th game, they’ll host the AFC East same-place finisher.

For the third consecutive season, the Bears will open the season at home when they host the Tennessee Titans in a matchup that will feature Caleb Williams’ rookie debut in front of the Chicago faithful. The Bears will close the season against the Packers at Lambeau Field, for a second straight year, in a game that could have playoff implications.

All in all, the Bears will play three prime-time games, as well as a national game on Thanksgiving and another high-profile matchup in London.

Here’s the complete Bears’ 2024 schedule:

Week Date Opponent Time (CT)
1 Sept. 8 vs. Tennessee Titans 12 p.m. Tickets
2 Sept. 15 at Houston Texans* 7:20 p.m. Tickets
3 Sept. 22 at Indianapolis Colts 12 p.m. Tickets
4 Sept. 29 vs. Los Angeles Rams 12 p.m. Tickets
5 Oct. 6 vs. Carolina Panthers 12 p.m. Tickets
6 Oct. 13 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (in London) 8:30 a.m. Tickets
7 Oct. 20 BYE WEEK
8 Oct. 27 at Washington Commanders 12 p.m. Tickets
9 Nov. 3 at Arizona Cardinals 3:05 p.m. Tickets
10 Nov. 10 vs. New England Patriots 12 p.m. Tickets
11 Nov. 17 vs. Green Bay Packers 12 p.m. Tickets
12 Nov. 24 vs. Minnesota Vikings 12 p.m. Tickets
13 Nov. 28 at Detroit Lions 11:30 a.m. Tickets
14 Dec. 8 at San Francisco 49ers 3:25 p.m. Tickets
15 Dec. 15 at Minnesota Vikings* 7:15 p.m. Tickets
16 Dec. 22 vs. Detroit Lions 12 p.m. Tickets
17 Dec. 26 vs. Seattle Seahawks* 7:15 p.m. Tickets
18 Jan. 5 at Green Bay Packers TBD Tickets

*prime-time game

Bears to play Jaguars in London on Oct. 13

The Bears are headed back across the pond, where they’ll “host” the Jaguars on Oct. 13 in London.

The Chicago Bears were awarded an international game in London this 2024 season. Now we know who they’ll play and when.

Chicago will face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Oct. 13 (Week 6) at 8:30 a.m. CT at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It will count as one of their nine home games this season.

“Every game the Chicago Bears play is rich in tradition, culture and passion,” Bears Chairman George H. McCaskey said back in January, via ChicagoBears.com. “And every year, game after game, we look forward to welcoming fans to experience that richness. This year, we will take our storied franchise and tradition back to London and share internationally what our fans locally experience at every game. We are excited to join the many NFL teams who are expanding internationally to play a game in London during our 2024 season.”

This will mark the Bears’ fourth game in London. They previously played the Dallas Cowboys in a preseason game in 1986 and regular season games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2011 and Las Vegas Raiders in 2019.

The remainder of Chicago’s 2024 schedule will be released Wednesday night at 7 p.m. CT. You can follow along with our schedule leaks tracker throughout the day (coming soon).

Bears OT Kiran Amegadjie will not practice during rookie minicamp

The third-round rookie is still recovering from a quad injury and won’t practice during rookie minicamp or during the spring.

The Chicago Bears rookies hit the field for the first time this weekend, but one notable player will not be participating. Head coach Matt Eberflus met the media on Friday and said third-round rookie offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie will not practice during minicamp and will likely be out for future spring practices.

Amegadjie suffered a quad injury during the 2023 season while playing for Yale, and he is still recovering. Eberflus said the team was well aware of his recovery, and the plan is for him to be ready when training camp begins.

Amegadjie was selected with the No. 75 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He shined during his collegiate career at Yale and enters his career with the chance to become the team’s swing tackle. Amegadjie grew up just outside of Chicago in suburban Hinsdale and is realizing a dream come true to play for his hometown team.

Though Amegadjie won’t be on the field, he’s still in the building and will continue to learn with the rest of the rookies. The rest of the draft class, including quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze, hit the field on Friday and Saturday for the first time as professional players.

Bears 2024 schedule to be released next week

We finally have a date for when the 2024 NFL schedules will be announced.

One week from today, the Chicago Bears will have their 2024 schedule finalized. All 32 NFL teams were recently informed that the 2024 schedule will be officially released on Wednesday, May 15th, at 7 p.m. CT, which was first reported on Tuesday by Ben Fischer of the Sports Business Journal. It was widely assumed that the schedule was going to be released this Thursday, May 9th, but it will instead take place six days later.

The NFL schedule release has taken on a life of its own over the last five years, even though the opponents are already known ahead of time. Teams release the order of their games with unique marketing approaches and the Bears are no different. But as the days and hours draw closer, leaks and announcements will come out that will begin to map out the team’s schedule. For fans, they will finally know what games to expect and when, including which ones will have slots in prime time.

With the buzz surrounding the Bears and new rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, it’s more than likely Chicago will have plenty of prime-time matchups. In just a week, all of that will be revealed, marking another step towards the beginning of the 2024 season.

Bears president Kevin Warren says intention is to build new stadium on lakefront

Bears president Kevin Warren spoke at the owners meetings on Tuesday and says he intents to break ground on a new stadium on the lakefront.

The Chicago Bears’ stadium saga continues to roll on, with little action taking place. The team is at an impasse with Arlington Heights and the 326-acre property they purchased over a year ago, and reports came out two weeks ago that indicate they have their sights set on a new stadium near Soldier Field.

On Tuesday, president Kevin Warren confirmed that the team intends to build a new stadium on the lakefront.

Warren met with reporters during the 2024 NFL owners meetings in Orlando, Florida, and was asked by CHGO’s Adam Hoge whether the Bears intended to build a new stadium in Chicago if everything came together. Warren didn’t mince words.

“The plan would be to put a shovel in the ground on the lakefront,” he said.

Ever since he was hired as team president and CEO, Warren has expressed his affinity for the city of Chicago. Last August, in an interview with Peter King, Warren talked about the possible options for a stadium location and couldn’t stop gushing about Chicago and its lakefront.

“God really kissed downtown Chicago with that lakefront,” Warren said via NBC Sports Chicago. “I don’t think there’s any place in the country that has that beauty of a city right upon a beautiful lake in Lake Michigan.”

The vision for a new stadium just south of Soldier Field comes after the difficulties the Bears have had with the Arlington Park property. Disagreements surrounding the proposed tax assessments have stalled progress, and even after the village recently proposed a fair compromise that would lower the current tax rate, the Bears are making their intentions clear.

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Bears CB Jaylon Johnson named to PFF’s All-Breakout Team

Bears CB Jaylon Johnson’s impressive 2023 season earned him a spot on PFF’s All-Breakout Team.

Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson had a career year during the 2023 season, where he emerged as one of the league’s best cornerbacks.

Johnson had a career-high four interceptions, 36 tackles and 10 pass breakups in 14 games. He proved to be one of the NFL’s best cover cornerbacks and unlocked the takeaway aspect of his game, earning his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods.

Johnson was named to Pro Football Focus’ All-Breakout Team for the 2023 season. He led all cornerbacks with a 90.8 overall grade, including a top coverage grade of 91.0.

With free agency looming, Jaylon Johnson likely made himself a lot of money with his 2023 performance. He was the only cornerback with a higher PFF grade than DaRon Bland (90.8), and he led the position in coverage grade (91.0).

Despite playing a hefty 530 coverage snaps, Johnson allowed just 25 catches on 50 targets for 195 yards and one touchdown to go along with four interceptions. Unless he gets hit with the franchise tag or signs an extension with the Bears, expect Johnson to be one of the most coveted players on the market in the 2024 offseason.

Johnson is slated to become a free agent in March, but general manager Ryan Poles has made it clear Johnson will be with the Bears in 2024. Whether that means signing Johnson to a lucrative, multi-year extension or using the franchise tag remains to be seen. But it’s clear Poles understands the importance of Johnson to this young, ascending defense looking to take the next step in 2024.

Bears RT Darnell Wright named to PFWA’s All-Rookie Team

Bears RT Darnell Wright is garnering recognition for his impressive rookie season.

The Chicago Bears appear to have found their franchise right tackle in Darnell Wright, who had an impressive rookie season where he proved to be one of the better offensive linemen on the team.

Wright, who was drafted 10th overall, started all 17 games for Chicago, where he earned a 62.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus (second among rookie tackles). Wright’s run-blocking grade of 66.0 was the best among all rookies. He also earned a 61.3 pass blocking grade.

“He’s a really good football player right now,” Bears offensive line coach Chris Morgan said, via Audacy. “And I think he’s going to be a great football player.

“The sky’s the limit. If he stays hungry, which I think he will because I think he’s the ultimate competitor deep down, I think he’s got the chance to be special. And I’ve been around a lot of good ones. He’s got a chance to be that.”

Last year, left tackle Braxton Jones was also named to the PFWA’s All-Rookie Team. The fifth-round rookie started every snap at left tackle for Chicago, and he showed promise as a long-term starter.

One noticeable snub on the 2023 PFWA All-Rookie Team is cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who was one of the better rookie cornerbacks this season. He really came into his own during the latter half of the season, including tying for a team-best four interceptions.

Cornerback Jaylon Johnson was also named to PFWA’s All-NFC Team following a career year.

Bears CB Jaylon Johnson named to PFWA’s All-NFC Team

The accolades keep rolling in for Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson.

The accolades keep rolling in for Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson.

Johnson is coming off a career year, where he established himself as one of the NFL’s best cover corners. He totaled a career-high four interceptions, 36 tackles and 10 pass breakups in 14 games. Johnson was the highest-graded cornerback by Pro Football Focus with a 90.8 grade for the 2023 season.

Johnson has been recognized for his impressive season, including earning his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods. Now, Johnson has been named to the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-NFC team.

Johnson is set to hit the free agent market this March, but general manager Ryan Poles made it clear that it won’t come to that.

“Jaylon’s not going to go anywhere,” Poles said during his end-of-year press conference on Jan. 10.

The ideal outcome is both sides are able to agree on a long-term deal — and it certainly feels like it’s heading in that direction. But the Bears could use the franchise tag, which would pay Johnson the average of the top five salaries at his position, projected to be in the $18.41 million range according to Over The Cap.

But the message this offseason has been clear: Johnson will be back with the Bears in 2024.