Bears’ five greatest mysteries ahead of NFL schedule release originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The 2024 NFL schedule will be released in full Wednesday, but games have already started trickling out as the league manufactures the slow content drip that has come to characterize it for the past decade.
Three of the first four primetime games are known as of this writing, with only the “Sunday Night Football” matchup yet to be announced.
We have no clarity on Caleb Williams and the 2024 Bears’ schedule, although they are expected to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in London in early October.
With the schedule release just a little over 24 hours away, here are the five questions regarding the Bears’ path. (The opponents have been known for months, but the cadence is important.)
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Williams’ arrival has already added a swell of attention around a franchise that has mainly oscillated between moribund and mediocre for the last decade.
The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner enters the NFL as one of the most-hyped prospects in recent memory, so it would make sense for the league to showcase Williams and the offseason darling Bears in Week 1.
But the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets will play on Monday night, while the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns get the FOX 4:25 p.m. Sunday slot for Tom Brady’s announcing debut.
That leaves “Sunday Night Football” as the lone big slot for Williams’ pro debut. A home matchup against the Detroit Lions would tick a lot of boxes, especially with the Green Bay Packers opening in Brazil on Friday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
But it’s also the New York Giants’ 100th anniversary, so the league could cede the Sunday night spot to them and push Williams’ primetime debut to another week.
I’m interested in the time slot for Williams’ debut and the selected opponent. A game against the Lions or Minnesota Vikings feels likely. But the NFL could also opt for a sexier road game, potentially against the C.J. Stroud and the Houston…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-five-greatest-mysteries-ahead-162852596.html
Author : NBC Sports Chicago
Publish date : 2024-05-14 16:28:52
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