The Lions and the Packers were the talk of the NFC North during the 2023 NFL season, but the Bears have positioned themselves to make some noise in 2024.
Chicago cashed in the No. 1 pick it got as part of the Bryce Young trade to get USC star Caleb Williams. They moved on from Justin Fields ahead of that and added weapons like D'Andre Swift, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze to support Williams during his first season.
Matt Eberflus' defense made major strides at the end of 2023, so the Bears seemed poised to break out. To what extent may be determined by the pro-readiness of Williams, who is viewed by many as a franchise quarterback.
The good news is Chicago has a fairly easy schedule that could allow the Bears to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Here is a complete breakdown of the Bears' 2024 schedule, including dates, start times, and analysis for their slate of games.
Chicago Bears schedule 2024
Below is the Bears' full schedule for the 2024 NFL season:
| Week | Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV | Tickets |
| 1 | Sept. 8 | vs. Titans | 1 p.m. | Fox | Buy now |
| 2 | Sept. 15 | at Texans | 8:20 p.m. | NBC | Buy now |
| 3 | Sept 22 | at Colts | 1 p.m. | CBS | Buy now |
| 4 | Sept. 29 | vs. Rams | 1 p.m. | Fox | Buy now |
| 5 | Oct. 6 | vs. Panthers | 1 p.m. | Fox | Buy now |
| 6 | Oct. 13 | vs. Jaguars (in London) | 9:30 a.m. | NFL Network | Buy now |
| 7 | BYE | Buy now | |||
| 8 | Oct. 27 | at Commanders | 1 p.m. | CBS | Buy now |
| 9 | Nov. 3 | at Cardinals | 4:05 p.m. | CBS | Buy now |
| 10 | Nov. 10 | vs. Patriots | 1 p.m. | Fox | Buy now |
| 11 | Nov. 17 | vs. Packers | 1 p.m. | Fox | Buy now |
| 12 | Nov. 24 | vs. Vikings | 1 p.m. | Fox | Buy now |
| 13 | Nov. 28 (Thu.) | at Lions | 12:30 p.m. | CBS | Buy now |
| 14 | Dec. 8 | at 49ers | 4:25 p.m. | Fox | Buy now |
| 15 | Dec. 16 (Mon.) | at Vikings | 8 p.m. | ABC, ESPN | Buy now |
| 16 | Dec. 22 | vs. Lions | 1 p.m. | Fox | Buy now |
| 17 | Dec. 26 (Thu.) | vs. Seahawks | 8:15 p.m. | Amazon Prime | Buy now |
| 18 | TBD | at Packers | TBD | TBD | Buy now |
The Bears are playing a last-place schedule after tying with the Vikings as the worst team in the NFC North last season. Chicago will get its normal slate of six divisional games and is also facing every AFC South and NFC West team as a part of their yearly rotation.
Chicago plays seven games against teams that made the playoffs last season. That includes four divisional contests against the Packers and Lions, who the Bears will have to play well against to make any sort of noise in the division.
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Bears strength of schedule
The Bears have the third-easiest strength of schedule for the 2024 NFL season, per Sharp Football Analysis. This analysis is based on the projected win totals for each of Chicago's opponents for the upcoming season rather than their records in 2023.
Chicago had the fourth-easiest strength of schedule in 2023 en route to posting a 7-10 record. The Bears figure to be better as a team in 2024, so as long as they stay healthy, they should have a good chance to exceed their win total from last season.
Bears prediction 2024
Bears Super Bowl odds courtesy BetMGM (+3500)
Toughest tests: The Bears have a tough divisional schedule, and facing the Lions and the Packers on the road will be no picnic. Chicago has lost 10 consecutive games to Green Bay and three of its past four against Detroit.
Elsewhere, playing high-powered offenses like the Rams (at home) and 49ers and Texans (on the road) could challenge the Bears. Caleb Williams may become a franchise quarterback, but if he is asked to go toe-to-toe with Matthew Stafford, Brock Purdy, or C.J. Stroud early in his career, he might not quite be ready for the task.
Biggest breaks: The Bears will benefit from playing a last-place schedule. They have matchups with the Panthers and Patriots at home, and their underrated defense should be able to effectively limit Bryce Young and Drake Maye (or Jacoby Brissett) in those games.
The Titans with Will Levis should also be an easier matchup for the Bears at home while traveling to face the rebuilding Cardinals and Commanders, which should also be solid matchups.
Bottom line: The Bears enter the 2024 NFL season as a potential breakout team, but will they be ready for the spotlight? The team has a great-looking receiving corps of D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze to support No. 1 pick Williams, so the offense should be more efficient and explosive than it was last season.
Defensively, Chicago improved immensely after the acquisition of Montez Sweat on the defensive line. As long as he stays healthy, the Bears have the makings of a top-10 defense and possess playmakers at every level.
The Bears can be among the NFC's top wild-card contenders if all goes well. They play in a tough division, though, so there's no guarantee that they'll be able to battle the Lions and Packers effectively enough to crack the postseason field.
In the best-case scenario, Chicago can dominate its lower-ranked opponents and get to double-digit wins. At worst, the Bears may endure another 7-10 type of season before Williams is ready to carry his team toward contender status.
We'll be optimistic and say that the Bears figure out a way to post a winning record in 2024.
Record prediction: 9-8
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