Bears release full 2024 schedule: Matchups for all 17 games, including an unusual division twist

Source: ESPN.com

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bears' 2024 schedule was released Wednesday, along with the rest of the NFL slate.

The Caleb Williams era kicks off in Chicago on Sept. 8 when the Bears host the Tennessee Titans in conjunction with the 100-year anniversary of Soldier Field.

The No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft will go head-to-head with six of the NFL's youngest quarterbacks in the first 10 weeks of the season, including highly anticipated matchups against Jayden Daniels, this year's No. 2 pick, when Chicago plays at the Washington Commanders in Week 8. Two weeks later, the Bears will host Drake Maye, the draft's third pick, and the New England Patriots.

The 2024 season also features Chicago's first international trip in five years when the Bears host the Jacksonville Jaguars in what will be deemed a home game played at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Oct. 13.

Strength of schedule: The Bears are tied for the third-easiest schedule as their opponents had a .467 win percentage last season.

It's highly unusual for the Bears to begin division play as late as Week 11 after opening the season against an NFC North opponent five times since 2015. Six of Chicago's final eight games are against division rivals, beginning with stretch of three games against Green Bay and Minnesota (both at home) followed by a Thanksgiving Day showdown at Detroit taking place Weeks 11-13. The Bears haven't finished better than 2-4 in NFC North games since 2019 and once again close the regular season at Green Bay, where they were unable to keep the Packers from clinching a spot in the playoffs in January.

Revenge game

New offensive coordinator Shane Waldron faces his former team, the Seattle Seahawks, on Thursday Night Football in Week 17. Waldron was Seattle's OC from 2021-23 and brought three former Seahawks coaches with him -- Kerry Joseph (quarterbacks), Chad Morton (running backs) and Robbie Picazo (offensive assistant). Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith had a career-best season under Waldron in 2022, where he led the league in completion percentage (69.8) and won the NFL's Comeback Player of the year Award.

Bold prediction

This shouldn't be bold, but considering the Bears haven't beaten the Packers since their first meeting in 2018, predicting a Chicago win against Green Bay qualifies. And why not take it a step further? The Bears take advantage of their strength of schedule, grab wins on the road at Indianapolis, Washington, Detroit and Minnesota, to name a few, and finish with a 10-7 record and trip to the playoffs.