The Chicago Bears haven’t had a winning season in seven years. One can understand if the NFL wishes to avoid putting them on national television until it is clear they have improved. However, that is not how the sport works. It is also about market strength. Chicago is the third-largest in the country with a gigantic fan base. The NFL knows the Bears will draw ratings even when they’re not good. So it’s not a matter of whether they will play in primetime this season, but how many times.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune offered some insight on that in his recent column. Based on his information, expect the Bears to land on national TV four times, with a high probability of being flexed to more if they have early success.
The NFL will unveil the 2025 schedule on Wednesday, May 14, and my guess is the Bears will be scheduled for four night games. Of course, if they play well, more can be added through the league’s flexible scheduling system.
This falls within normal parameters. Last year, they played three primetime games while along with one in London and another on Thanksgiving in Detroit. It will be interesting to see if the presence of new head coach Ben Johnson, fresh from his success with the Lions, might move the needle a bit.
The Chicago Bears have no shortage of possible opponents.
At least one of those primetime games will be against a division rival. Considering the NFL had the Chicago Bears play the Green Bay Packers on national TV for 17 consecutive seasons before it ended in 2023. After the team stunned the Packers at Lambeau Field last year and a budding rivalry emerging between Johnson and Matt LaFleur, it is a low-hanging fruit for schedule makers. Detroit and Minnesota could also demand primetime since both made the playoffs last year. You also have the defending champion Eagles and a possible rematch with Washington as obvious options. Everything depends on how the schedules for other teams line up. It is a delicate process that may lead to some unexpected twists.
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