The NFL releases its 2024 schedule Wednesday night. What could it look like for the Bears?

By the time Bears fans go to bed Wednesday night, they’ll know exactly which days and times they can watch No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams play in his first NFL season.

One of the most anticipated moments of the offseason has arrived this week, as the league will release its 2024 schedule at 7 p.m. Wednesday. According to the NFL, you can watch the schedule release on NFL Network, NFL.com, the NFL app and NFL+.

As soon as it’s released, of course, the new schedule will be broken down extensively by ESPN, the NFL Network and other media outlets.

After an offseason of big moves in which Chicago drafted Williams No. 1 overall to be their new quarterback; took receiver Rome Odunze No. 9 overall and made a trade with the Chargers for veteran receiver Keenan Allen to give Williams some major weapons; and signed running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett, among others, in free agency, Chicago figures to receive some prime scheduling slots from the NFL this season.

Here are some things to know about as the Bears’ 2024 schedule release approaches:

How can I get tickets?

Right after the schedule release.

Bears single-game tickets and suites for 2024 preseason and regular-season games will be available to the general public on Wednesday at 8 p.m., following the schedule release, the team announced Tuesday morning.

Season-ticket holders and fans on the season-ticket priority list will have exclusive early access to a presale from 7 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, the team says.

According to the Bears, tickets for home and away games can be purchased through Ticketmaster, the team’s official ticketing partner.

Visit ChicagoBears.com/Tickets for more information on tickets and packages.

Who will the Bears play?

This part, we already know.

Because the NFL uses a simple formula, you can determine which opponents will be on any team’s schedule for the next season right after each season ends. You even know which games will be at home and on the road.

It’s just a matter of what dates and times those games will be.

For the Bears, six of their 17 regular-season games, just like every season, will be against their NFC North rivals, the Green Pay Packers, Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings. They’ll play each team once at home and once on the road.

Accounting for another eight games this season, outside their division, the Bears will play all four teams from the NFC West (Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks) and all four teams from the AFC South (Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans).

Then, based on their fourth-place finish in the NFC North in 2023, the Bears’ remaining three opponents will also be fourth-place teams from last season: from the NFC South (Carolina Panthers), the AFC East (New England Patriots) and the NFC East (Washington Commanders).

That makes 17 games. Since it’s an even-numbered year, like the rest of the NFC, the Bears will play nine home games and eight road games.

That makes the Bears’ 2024 schedule shake out like this:

HOME: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Rams, Seahawks, Jaguars, Titans, Panthers, Patriots.

ROAD: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Cardinals, 49ers, Texans, Colts, Commanders.

What else do we know?

We already know that the Bears will play one of those 17 games in London, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The NFL announced that in January.

During Wednesday’s schedule release, we’ll know the date and opponent for that game, as well. Since the Bears have nine home games, the London game will be considered one of those, leaving eight home games at Soldier Field.

We also know one of the Bears’ preseason games. They’ll kick off the 2024 NFL season against the Texans, the league announced in March, in the annual Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, Aug. 1, in Canton, Ohio, giving fans a quick glimpse of Williams going up against Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, last season’s rookie phenom.

Will the Bears play in primetime?

We don’t know that quite yet, but we’ll know by Wednesday night.

In the meantime, in advance of Wednesday’s schedule release, the NFL has already trickled out some of its 2024 primetime matchups to give fans a little taste of the schedule.

As of Tuesday morning, those games include:

Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs (Thursday, Sept. 5, 7:20 p.m., NBC): The annual Thursday night game to kickoff the regular season pits the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs hosting the Ravens in a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game.
Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles in São Paulo, Brazil (Friday, Sept. 6, Time TBD, Peacock): The NFL’s first game played in Brazil and first Friday opener for teams since 1970 features two playoff teams from last season — including, of course, the Bears’ biggest rival.
Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns (Sunday, Sept. 8, 3:25 p.m., Fox): Tom Brady, fresh off being roasted, makes his much-anticipated broadcasting debut in Sunday’s prime Week 1 late-game slot.
New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers (Monday, Sept. 9, 7:20 p.m., ESPN, NFL+): After suffering a season-ending injury just four snaps into his Jets debut last season, Aaron Rodgers once again will be under center for the Jets in the first Monday Night Football matchup of the season, this one in San Francisco against the defending NFC champion 49ers.
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins (Thursday, Sept. 12, 7:15 p.m., Amazon): The opener for Amazon’s Thursday Night Football schedule features AFC East rivals who both made the playoffs in 2023.
Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs (Sunday, Sept. 15, 3:25 p.m., CBS): A prime late-game Week 2 slot features the Bengals and Chiefs renewing their rivalry after Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury in Week 11 last season. The Bengals and Chiefs met in two straight AFC title games from 2022-23.