CHICAGO () — The Chicago Bears return to prime time Thursday night, welcoming the New England Patriots to Soldier Field for a nationally televised Thursday Night Football matchup!
The game features a meeting between two of the NFL’s most promising young quarterbacks: Chicago’s Caleb Williams and New England’s Drake Maye.
Both clubs enter the contest with identical 4-2 records and are riding the momentum of victories in their most recent games.
Williams made his return from a hamstring injury Sunday and helped guide the Bears past Atlanta with a performance that included more than 300 passing yards.
“I always admire people who can come back from injuries like Wolverine,” Bears fan Ed Ndongo said. “It felt like it only took him a few weeks to return, and I’m just glad he’s healthy.”
While Chicago’s offense has impressed, Bears supporters are hoping the defense can deliver a more steady performance.
“We’ve been playing really well on offense, so hopefully we can put it all together on both sides of the ball and really take it to them,” Bears fan Jonathan Thornton said.
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Maye, meanwhile, has guided New England through a three-game winning streak.
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Thursday night’s kickoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. at Soldier Field.
“I always admire people who can come back from injuries like Wolverine,” Ndongo said. “It felt like it only took him a few weeks to return, and I’m just glad he’s healthy.”
The matchup is also the Bears’ first home game since the death of Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame tight end who went on to coach Chicago’s legendary 1985 Super Bowl championship team.
Chicago will honor Ditka throughout the evening with several tributes, including a stadium-wide mustache giveaway, a Hall of Fame display in the south courtyard, an on-field flag and stencil, and a moment of silence.