Chicago Bears 2024 schedule: Caleb Williams era begins with opening game against Titans

CHICAGO– It’s time for Caleb Williams to deliver.

The No. 1 draft pick will make his highly anticipated debut when the Chicago Bears host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, kicking off at noon at Soldier Field.

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“I’m excited to see him,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “And I’m excited to lean on his teammates. Because that’s what you have to do with a quarterback. He’s got guys around him who have played for many years.”

The Bears are currently one of the top teams in the NFL, and with the former Heisman Trophy winner from Southern California at center and several other key offensive additions, they were an easy choice for the HBO series “Hard Knocks.”

Williams is widely viewed as a generational talent who could solidify a position that has long been a sore spot for the NFL’s founding team. He will also look to break a recent trend among quarterbacks drafted No. 1. The last 15 have a combined 0-14-1 record in their first appearances, starting with Cincinnati’s Carson Palmer in 2003.

It’s not just Williams’ arrival that has the Bears aiming for higher things after going 10-24 in each of general manager Ryan Poles’ and Eberflus’ first two seasons.

They traded away six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen and drafted Rome Odunze with the No. 9 pick to form a potentially dangerous trio of wide receivers with the returning DJ Moore. Add to that a defense that came after a midseason trade for Montez Sweat, and the Bears have higher goals after a 7-10 season.

Tennessee’s Brian Callahan, meanwhile, will make his debut as head coach. He was hired to bolster one of the NFL’s weakest offenses after spending the last five years as Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator. The Titans ranked near the bottom of the NFL in total offense, passing and scoring, posting a 6-11 record.

Strong start

The Bears will look to build on the momentum they had late last season, when they won five of seven games before closing with a loss at Green Bay. The end came after an 0-4 start that was part of a 14-game losing streak that extends into 2022.

Back on the hunt for quarterbacks

Two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons missed the final five games of the 2023 season, which didn’t help former coach Mike Vrabel keep his job. The Titans kept Simmons on the bench in the preseason. Now, Simmons can finally chase and tackle quarterbacks, along with rookie tackle T’Vondre Sweat.

“I was just thinking about how dominant I can be in this game. How effective I can be in this game. And how can I help my team win this game?” Simmons said.

Main goal?

Allen stressed that he doesn’t care about being part of an ensemble and not being the clear No. 1 wide receiver – even in a contract year.

“Yeah, I mean, I don’t want to make $35 million,” he said, laughing.

Allen, 32, made six Pro Bowls in 11 seasons with the Chargers before the Bears signed him in March. He is in the final year of a four-year contract extension he signed in 2020 and is questionable for the opening game due to a heel injury.

The deal for Allen was Chicago’s second trade for a top wide receiver in as many years. The Bears acquired Moore from Carolina in 2023. With Odunze and tight ends Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett, Williams should have no shortage of targets.

“It will be balanced and I think it will be good,” Allen said.

Three-headed monster

Some may see it as a challenge to have three wide receivers who could easily be the best players on any other team. Not so Callahan, who has worked with players in similar situations many times. Now on the Titans, he has five-time Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins alongside Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd and Treylon Burks, the fourth man in line despite being only the 18th overall pick in 2022.

“You make sure the emphasis is on what they do well. You move them around the formation. You put them in spots where they can catch the ball,” Callahan said. “It’s a process and we work really hard on it. We spend time on where we put guys and what we ask them to do. So that part is nothing new, it’s something I’ve been doing for a long time and I’m pretty confident that we can get the ball to the guys. And again, I like that.”

How is Hopkins?

Hopkins injured his knee on July 31 and returned to practice this week on a limited basis. The veteran leads the NFL with 928 passes caught for 12,355 yards since being drafted in 2013. He also leads the NFL with 642 passes caught for first downs and ranks third with 78 touchdowns caught. Hopkins’ selection will be decided at game time.

Quarterback Will Levis worked enough with the veteran last season and in the offseason that he is not worried about their timing.

“It’s just great to have him back and I can’t wait to have him back,” Levis said.