Chicago Bears Schedule Leak: Caleb Williams vs. Minnesota Vikings Monday Night Football

The Bears will host their oldest rivals, the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 20, the Saturday before Christmas. They are part of a doubleheader on FOX that will also feature the Eagles against their division rival Washington Commanders. 

Chicago had two more of its games leaked on Wednesday morning. They will open their season on Monday Night Football by hosting the Minnesota Vikings in a NFC North showdown at Soldier Field, according to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz. It will be the first matchup between Williams and Vikings 2024 first round pick JJ McCarthy, who missed all of last season after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the preseason. 

The Commanders will host the Bears on Monday Night Football in week 6 in the second matchup between the top two picks of the 2024 NFL Draft, according NBC4 Sports JP Finlay. Last season, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels' 52-yard heave to the end zone on the final play of regulation gave Washington a 18-15 win over Chicago. 

Daniels would go onto win Offensive Rookie of the Year and lead the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game, while the loss for the Bears started a downward spiral in which they lost 10 consecutive games. 

The former Heisman Trophy winner’s careers will be forever linked and another matchup in October will be the latest edition. 

The entirety of the NFL’s 272-game regular season will be released on Wednesday night. Chicago already has four prime-time games, and that’s without the Thursday or Sunday Night Football schedule being announced yet. 

All eyes will be on Williams in his second season. The Bears hired former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to develop their young quarterback and replicate his offensive success in Chicago, a franchise that still has not produced a 4,000-yard passer. 

They retooled their offense by upgrading the interior of their offensive line to protect Williams, who was sacked 68 times in 2024, tied for the third-most in NFL history. Chicago then used its first two draft picks on the offensive side of the ball, selecting Michigan star tight end Colston Loveland with the No. 10 overall pick and then dynamic Missouri receiver Luther Burden III with the No. 39 pick in the second round.