Way-too-early ‘must win’ games for Chicago Bears in 2024

NFL players and coaches will tell you that they treat every game as a “must-win,” but we all know certain games just matter more. Sometimes, it pertains to the playoff hunt, in which case the consequences of losing are obvious. Other times, it may just be a point of pride.

While it’s much too early to consider playoff seeding, it’s still a good time to look at the Chicago Bears schedule and find the games that fans might consider “must-win” scenarios.

Week 1 vs Tennessee Titans

Every fanbase wants to start the season with a win, but that goes double for Bears fans. This will be not just the first game of a new season but what they hope to be the first game of a new era — the Caleb Williams era. After an offseason of excitement and promise, dropping a home game here to a Titans team that is not exactly a title contender would be deflating, to say the least.

Week 5 vs Carolina Panthers

In 2023, the Bears beat the Panthers at home, with undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent starting at quarterback. Losing to the Panthers in 2024 after what is likely to be a massive upgrade at quarterback would leave many Bears fans with a sick feeling in their stomachs. This game also has more meaning thanks to the mini-rivalry that has bubbled up between these two teams ever since the trade that allowed Chicago to get what ended up being Carolina’s first overall pick in 2024 and draft Caleb Williams.

Weeks 11 and 18 vs Packers

These last two are almost a given. By the time the Chicago Bears meet the Packers for the first time this season on November 17th, it will have been 2,163 days since they last beat their rivals. That must come to an end ASAP. Another loss will extend the streak and give the Packers a new record for the longest winning streak in this rivalry at 11 in a row.

I’m including Week 18 in this as well because not only will this game likely have playoff implications for one or both of these teams, but a season sweep of the Green Bay Packers would go a long way to restoring the fanbase’s faith in this franchise. If the Bears drop one or both of these games, fans will likely head into the 2025 offseason in the same sour mood as they did just a few months ago.

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