NEWSLETTER
ESPN’s Monday Night Football team will call the first game of the Caleb Williams Era when the Chicago Bears play the Houston Texans in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.
This will mark the first time the Hall of Fame Game will be broadcasted on ESPN. But if you don’t have cable or a package with ESPN, don’t worry. The game will also be shown on ABC. Hall of Fame play-by-play broadcaster Joe Buck and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman will call the game, while Lisa Salters will be in that familiar top sideline reporter role.
As for the rest of the preseason schedule…
Ah, yes. You forgot about the preseason didn’t you? It’s OK. This is a judgment-free zone, my friend.
It was easy to get lost in the fun and ridiculousness of another NFL schedule release party. But let’s not lose sight that the Bears also dropped their list of opponents for the 2024 preseason. And they did so while sticking to the back-to-school theme that accompanied their highly acclaimed 2024 regular-season schedule announcement video. Because if the formula ain’t broke, then don’t fix it — right?
Exhibition games kinda matter. For someone. Somewhere. And in some fashion. Whether it is a player trying to hold onto a job, make a name for themself, or fulfilling a dream, there is some value to preseason games. It isn’t on the level of regular-season contests, it isn’t without value. Just saying.
Chicago Bears preseason schedule
All times central.
All preseason games after the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game will air on WFLD FOX-32. All four exhibition games this summer will play on ESPN 1000-AM radio and WVIV 93.5 FM in Spanish
Three things stand out to me about the Bears preseason schedule.
Firstly, they have four games on the docket. So do the Texans, mind you. Both teams participating in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game will have an additional preseason game to navigate this summer. As someone who has a knack for finding silver linings in clouds, I am going to try to see the extra exhibition game as a bonus opportunity for Bears coaches and front office members to evaluate players. Maybe that extra game means someone does something that catches a coach’s eye and lands them on the practice squad. Perhaps something happens that catches the eyes of coaches or general managers. You never know what someone can do until they’re given a chance to do it.
Secondly, three of the four preseason games will be played away from Soldier Field. That is an odd schedule quirk — one that I’ve been aware of for a while. However, it didn’t truly hit me until I saw it laid out in the graphic above. Bears fans were already going to be short a preseason home game because the league has teams that play nine “home” games in the regular season play just one of three preseason games at home. But the NFL is sending Chicago’s football team to play a “home” game in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which wipes out that “extra” home game.
Suddenly, I’m starting to think George McCaskey was right to vote down the expanded international games package.
Thirdly, this thought crossed my mind when realizing who the Bears’ preseason opponents would be: Caleb Williams will share the field with C.J. Stroud, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Patrick Mahomes this summer when the this tea plays its preseason slate of games. Don’t side-eye me! Technically, this is true. The Bears rookie QB will see Stroud, Allen, Burrow, and Mahomes this summer when the Bears play the Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, and Kansas City Chiefs in the preseason. Getting to rub shoulders with greatness upon your arrival sounds like fun. I hope Caleb gets a chance to pick those guys’ brains.
