Here’s looking at who the Bears could be playing in stand alone games
The Chicago Bears are an interesting team this year. A team coming off a 5-12 record shouldn’t be expected to be all over prime time television, but this is the Chicago Bears. This is the team of Halas, Payton, and Butkus. The NFL loves to put Chicago in these games when they’re bad. But this is a different season for the Bears.
Caleb Williams is entering year two. Ben Johnson is here. The Bears are going to be a big-time hype machine, so you can expect the NFL to ride the hype train, and you’ll see the Bears plenty on primetime games in 2025.
Sam gave it a shot yesterday in our open thread question of the day, but here’s my attempt at trying to predict the Bears’ primetime games this season.
Week 2, September 15: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
ESPN Monday Night Football
The Chicago market is one that networks love, so I expect all the NFL rightsholders to want a bite of the Bears. ESPN gets a divisional game early in the season with the Bears and the Vikings. The two teams have played regularly on Monday Night Football in recent years, so this is a fit that makes sense.
Week 5, October 5: Pittsburgh Steelers at Chicago Bears
NBC Sunday Night Football
I feel like this is a game that NBC would just want to desperately have. I know Aaron Rodgers is still a free agent, but I expect him to be a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and I think NBC just can’t ignore what would most likely be Aaron Rodgers’ final game at Soldier Field. The Packers play the Steelers as well and that one has to end up on Sunday Night Football as well, but I think a Rodgers vs the Bears storyline is one NBC can’t pass up.
Week 10, November 9: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
NBC Sunday Night Football
Another one that has to happen, right? Ben Johnson’s return to Detroit? I also wouldn’t be shocked if the Bears are playing Detroit in week 18 in Chicago, and if that’s the case, NBC can have Ben Johnson’s return in the meat of the NFL schedule, and this is one that plenty of people are going to want to watch across the country.
Week 12, November 28: Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles
Amazon Prime (Black Friday)
Not so much a prediction as Amazon announced this one on Monday evening. Like I said, every rightsholder gets a bite of the Bears this year, and while the Bears won’t be on Amazon’s traditional Thursday Night Football, they will have them on a standalone game on holiday weekend.
Week 16, December 20: Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears
Fox (Saturday)
Another game that has been announced and is not a prediction. I have a feeling this one won’t technically be a primetime game. Fox announced that there would be a doubleheader on Fox on December 20 (that will be up against the College Football Playoff). The other game is Commanders- Eagles. One game will be late afternoon, and one game will be in primetime. I expect Eagles-Commanders to be the nightcap while Packers-Bears is the appetizer. Fox hasn’t announced the times of these games yet and will later in the season. If the Packers and Bears are both going to be headed to the playoffs, I would expect Fox to make this game the primetime game.
Week 17, December 25: Chicago Bears at Washington Commanders
Netflix (Thursday)
With Chicago playing the Saturday before Christmas, it gives them a chance to come back for Christmas and play one of the other two teams playing on the 20th. Being the Bears and Eagles are playing on Black Friday, I’m expecting this one on Christmas. The Hail Mary rematch on Christmas? With the Pope Leo angle? It’s just too much for the NFL to ignore; they’ll play it up.
Last year, the Bears had four primetime/standalone games; this year, I’m expecting that number to jump to six. I think the NFL is jumping on the Ben Johnson/Caleb Williams hype and hoping the Bears can win 10 or 11 games this year, make the playoffs, and the NFL will be giving the fans this storyline throughout the entire NFL season.