NFL schedule release: Bears open regular season Sept. 10 against Packers
CHICAGO (CBS) – The Chicago Bears will open the highly-anticipated 2023 regular season on Sept. 10 against the rival Packers at Soldier Field.
The Bears and the other 31 NFL teams learned their schedules on Thursday for the upcoming regular season.
Hot off the grill 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NRt0rxhPqR
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 12, 2023
Week 1: Sept. 10 vs. Green Bay, 3:25 p.m.
Week 2: Sept. 17 at Tampa Bay, noon
Week 3: Sept. 24 at Kansas City, 3:25 p.m.
Week 4: Oct. 1 vs. Denver, noon
Week 5: Oct. 5 at Washington, 7:15 p.m.
Week 6: Oct. 15 Minnesota, noon
Week 7: Oct. 22 vs. Las Vegas, noon
Week 8: Oct. 29 at Los Angeles Chargers, 7:20 p.m.
Week 9: Nov. 5 at New Orleans, noon
Week 10: Nov. 9 vs. Carolina, 7:15 p.m.
Week 11: Nov. 19 at Detroit, noon
Week 12: Nov. 27 at Minnesota, 7:15 p.m.
Week 13: Bye
Week 14: Dec. 10 vs. Detroit, noon
Week 15: TBD at Cleveland
Week 16: Dec. 24 vs. Arizona, 3:25 p.m.
Week 17: Dec. 31 vs. Atlanta, noon
Week 18: TBD at Green Bay
Game dates and times are subject to the NFL's flexible schedule policy beginning in Week 5.
This is the 35th time the Bears will open their season against Green Bay. Chicago is 17-15-2 in those games. The Bears last beat the Pack in the 2006 season opener at Green Bay 26-0.
The Bears are scheduled to play in four primetime games next season, including two Thursday night games on Oct. 5 at Washington and Nov. 9 against Carolina, on Sunday Night Football in Los Angeles to play the Chargers on Oct. 29, and one Monday night matchup in Minnesota on Nov. 27.
In terms of strength of schedule, the Bears' opponents winning percentage is .497, putting it around the middle of the pack (18th) of the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles have the toughest schedule, facing opponents with a .566 winning percentage and the Atlanta Falcons have the weakest schedule with their opponents owning a .417 winning percentage.
Before the full schedule is released...
— NFL (@NFL) May 11, 2023
Every team's strength of schedule in 2023. ⬇️
📺: 2023 NFL Schedule Release -- Tonight 8pm ET on @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/82xmSqdaQY
The whole NFL regular season kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 7 with the Detroit Lions traveling to Kansas City to play the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
The Bears have revamped the roster after going 3-14, finishing last in the NFC North and earning the first overall pick in this year's draft.
Despite the losses, that finish enabled the Bears to trade away that top pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for four draft picks and wide receiver DJ Moore, another weapon for quarterback Justin Fields to throw to.
The Bears also drafted Tennessee offensive lineman Darnell Wright in last month's draft to bolster an offensive line that, allowed 58 sacks last season, the fourth-most in the league.
The Monsters of the Midway also added defensive talent with their draft picks, selecting Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, Miami cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and South Carolina defensive lineman Zacch Pickens in the second and third rounds.