(670 The Score) On the evening of Sept. 8, new Bears head coach Ben Johnson will step onto the west sideline at Soldier Field and into the primetime spotlight as his tenure in Chicago begins with great anticipation.
The Bears will host the Vikings in their opener on Monday Night Football on that date, the NFL announced in releasing its full schedule Wednesday evening. With that in mind, here are five takeaways from the Bears' schedule.
The Bears on Wednesday released their 2025 schedule.Courtesy of the Chicago Bears
Big divisional home games bookend the schedule
It's only fitting that Johnson's tenure leading the Bears begins with a divisional game. After all, all three NFC North foes in the Lions, Vikings and Packers reached the postseason last season. The Bears were the odd team out, and they haven't won a playoff game since January 2011.
There's a high standard in the NFC North, which is expected to once again be a hotly contested division. Johnson and the Bears know that to have success, they must hold their own in divisional games.
The Bears will also finish the regular season at home with a divisional game by hosting the reigning NFC North champion Lions at Soldier Field.
Will the NFC North crown be headed back to Detroit by that point or will there be a new victor within the division? Perhaps there will be some high stakes in the regular-season finale at Soldier Field.
An anticipated rematch
Late last October, the Commanders earned a stunning 18-15 win against the Bears on a 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown as time expired. It was a turning point for both teams. Led by then-rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, Washington reached the NFC Championship game in a breakout season. Meanwhile, Chicago lost 10 games in a row in a season that went down the drain.
This rematch will be a fascinating early litmus test as to whether the Bears can showcase progress in 2025. And for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, a showcase game against Daniels will be a chance to prove he's on track to becoming a franchise arm.
A new chapter in Bears-Packers rivalry?
During his Bears introduction at Halas Hall on Jan. 22, Johnson took an unexpected jab at Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.
"To be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year," Johnson said in reference to the Lions going 5-1 against the Packers while he served as Detroit's offensive coordinator.
Those comments caught LaFleur and the Packers off guard given that Johnson has never worked with him. The two don't know each other personally beyond their respective coaching roles in the division.
The NFL's longest-standing rivalry now has Johnson breathing life in a dormant Bears franchise that's striving to reclaim superiority against the Packers.
The Bears and Packers will play twice during a three-week span, as they'll meet at Lambeau Field on Dec. 7 and at Soldier Field on Dec. 20.
National spotlight on the Bears
The national networks love the Bears and their third-biggest television market. That's the case once again as Chicago will play five standalone games in 2025. Bears.
Following the two Monday Night Football broadcasts for the Bears, they'll play on Prime Video on Black Friday against the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia. They'll also play a standalone game against the Packers on FOX on Dec. 20 and then against the 49ers on Sunday Night Football on Dec. 28.
Of course, the Bears and 49ers must do their part to stay relevant enough for that Week 17 game. NBC has the right to flex out into a more intriguing matchup.
An early bye
Early bye weeks are typically reserved for teams playing games overseas, allowing them to break up the long travel. The Bears received that fate with a Week 5 bye despite not playing in Europe this season.
Week 5 is the earliest point of the season that a team can have a bye. In 2024, the Bears entered their Week 7 bye at 4-2, then suffered a 10-game losing streak. There were many reasons for the Bears' slide, but a bye week within the long losing streak may have helped them get back on track.
The Bears will face a long haul after their early bye week.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
