The Chicago Bears will host the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field in a Week 1 matchup.
Here’s what you need to know before kickoff (noon, FOX). Want more? Sign up for our Bears Insider newsletter.
No pressure, just the entire city of Chicago on his shoulders
Black-and-white photographs and grainy videos are all you ever see of Sid Luckman.
The greatest quarterback in Chicago Bears history, who retired in 1950 after leading the team to four NFL championships, played in an era so far removed from today’s game, it’s impossible to compare him to any modern QB, much less one of our own.
But if Bears rookie Caleb Williams lives up to the massive hype that accompanied his arrival in town, you’ll probably be seeing and hearing a lot more about Luckman this year. If Williams is truly The One, the Bears can move on from a past that has haunted the organization for seven-plus decades.
Like the 2016 Cubs squashing the Billy Goat curse, Paul Sullivan writes, Williams can end the curse of Sid Luckman.
5 things to watch — plus our Week 1 predictions
Beyond their rookie QB, the Bears have a slew of new offensive weapons to evaluate Sunday, including running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett.
But one of the biggest curiosities is how Williams’ connection with the wide receivers group of DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze unfolds. Moore had 1,364 receiving yards in his first season with the Bears and sixth overall in 2023. Allen had 1,243 yards in his 11th season with the Chargers in 2023 before the Bears traded for him. And Odunze comes in off an All-American senior season at Washington in which he led the nation in receiving yards.
“It’s going to be special,” Odunze said. “DJ got stuff on film. Keenan got stuff on film. I’m excited to see what I can add to that mix and what we can all do together.” Read more here.
‘Your IQ of the game is big. And that’s Flus through and through.’
For Bears coach Matt Eberflus, the wind at his back feels substantial. In so many ways, he enters the 2024 season with new energy and a new opportunity to return the Bears to prominence. Courtesy of his wife, Kelly, and his daughters, Giada and Grace, Eberflus has a new-and-improved mien about him. His well-documented makeover includes a well-groomed beard, a fade haircut and a new sense of style.
With the help of general manager Ryan Poles, Eberflus also has a new-and-improved roster to work with.
Yet as much of the football world focuses on Chicago to see what will happen next, uncertainty lingers. On the betting markets alone, optimism and skepticism remain in a fierce tug of war. Somehow, Eberflus is at once the current favorite to be named Coach of the Year at the NFL Honors ceremony in February in New Orleans while also registering among the four most likely coaches to be fired next. Read more here.
What to know about Bears home games this season
From where to park, what to eat and when to sing, here’s our Soldier Field guide for the 2024 season.
And speaking of food … one of the most anticipated rollouts is the “Odunze Dog.” The fully loaded hot dog is named after Bears rookie Rome Odunze, and Levy chefs called it the wide receiver’s “culinary introduction to the Windy City.”
The jalapeño cheddar dog with Italian beef, giardiniera, spicy Chicago secret sauce and cheese crisp crumbles also tracks with the rookie wide receiver’s snack habits, as shown in a recent episode of “Hard Knocks.” The Odunze Dog will be offered at a concession stand in section 134.
Previously on ‘Hard Knocks’
Narrated by Liev Schreiber, “Hard Knocks” first launched in 2001, following the Ravens through camp. The Bears were featured on the 19th edition of the series — and for the franchise’s first time — in August when training camp began. Directed by Shannon Furman. the five episodes served as an infomercial for the organization, spreading optimism for the start of the Caleb Williams era and portraying management and the players in the best light possible. But what did they expect, writes Paul Sullivan?
Let’s meet the new kids
The Bears selected five players in the 2024 NFL draft. Get to know Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, Kiran Amegadjie, Tory Taylor and Austin Booker.
“He’s what you want as the face of your franchise.”
Bears tight end Cole Kmet received a glimpse of Caleb Williams’ competitiveness during a recent trip to Topgolf.
USC passing game coordinator Dennis Simmons knows a little bit about that competitiveness — in big moments and small ones — after spending three seasons with Williams, first as the passing game coordinator at Oklahoma and then at USC.
He spoke recently with the Tribune about Williams’ passion, the misconceptions that surrounded him in the predraft process and why he believes Williams is a quarterback whom teammates will want to play for. Read more about Williams here.
“He thrives on those moments.”
For 52 minutes after making quarterback Caleb Williams the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, Bears GM Ryan Poles waited.
He waited with eagerness. He waited with anxiety. He waited for the opportunity to make his grandest draft dream come true. Specifically, Poles waited for Rome Odunze, the talented, intelligent and enthusiastic wide receiver from Washington.
JaMarcus Shephard understands why Poles and the Bears were so excited to unite with Odunze. Having served as the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Washington for Odunze’s final two college seasons, Shephard is well aware of Odunze’s big-play ability and strive-big mentality. Shephard, now at Alabama as wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator, spoke to the Tribune recently to offer his assessment of Odunze. Read more about Odunze here.
“He has the most growth potential out of any of the guys.”
Bears rookie offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie called the first couple of weeks settling in with the team he grew up cheering for “surreal.”
The Bears’ third-round draft pick, who is from Hinsdale, said he was brimming with excitement about contributing to “the history and culture of my favorite team.” But the 6-foot-5, 326-pound Amegadjie will have to stay patient about contributing on the field.
Yale coach Tony Reno said he knows Amegadjie is itching to get reps on the field – and he believes in what Amegadjie can do once he does. Reno has watched Amegadjie’s rise from Hinsdale Central to the NFL, and he spoke with the Tribune about how Amegadjie developed and what he will bring to the Bears when he gets back on the field. Read more about Amegadjie here.
“He totally revamped the position.”
Bears coach Matt Eberflus found himself drawn into the show his rookie was performing at a June minicamp practice at Halas Hall.
Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods watched those talents for four years after recruiting Taylor out of Australia, and he has many stories about the development of a player Bears general manager Ryan Poles called one of the best punters he ever has seen.
Woods spoke with the Tribune about Taylor’s transition to American football, some of his most impressive feats and the fanfare he created in Iowa City. Read more about Taylor here.
‘He’s a skinny guy in a big guy’s body.’
When the Bears drafted Kansas defensive lineman Austin Booker in the fifth round in April, he didn’t shy away from the word “raw.”
The 21-year-old edge rusher played in just six games over his first two seasons at Minnesota before transferring to Kansas for the 2023 season. After totaling 56 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, eight sacks and two forced fumbles in 12 games last year, he entered the NFL draft having played just 505 college snaps, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
Kansas defensive ends coach Taiwo Onatolu believes in that upside. As Booker settled in with the Bears at organized team activities in May, Onatolu took some time to talk with the Tribune about Booker’s growth in his lone season with the Jayhawks and what he will bring to the Bears. Read more about Booker here.
