The season opener pits the Minnesota Vikings against the Chicago Bears.
On Monday night, the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings will play their season opener at Soldier Field in an NFC North matchup.
Both teams have plenty of storylines, but the Bears will need to play with a diminished defense if they hope to win in primetime. Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson, both cornerbacks, are doubtful due to hamstring and groin injuries, respectively. Due to a hamstring issue, linebacker TJ Edwards is categorized as doubtful.
First-year head coach Ben Johnson has thrown a lot at quarterback Caleb Williams during training camp and the preseason.
With Williams coming off a rookie season in which he threw for 3,541 yards, with 20 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, he has faced some criticism for being too timid, with some analysts saying he should have taken more risks.
Williams is still well positioned to be the Bears' first-ever quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards this year, with more weapons and more dependable targets around him thanks to the addition of rookie tight end Colston Loveland and rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III on top of receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze and running back D'Andre Swift.
How Johnson will plan his offense is still one of the league's biggest mysteries. Monday night will be the first time fans and rival teams see Johnson's preseason game plan for the Bears, even though he stated that he reused the same strategy he employed for four years in Detroit. Johnson has stated that his playbook with the Bears won't be an exact replica of what he did with the Lions.
Adam Thielen's second stint with his hometown squad and a revamped offensive line are worth keeping track of for the Vikings, though all eyes will be on quarterback J.J. McCarthy as he makes his highly anticipated debut. The former Michigan standout was selected 10th overall by Minnesota in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he had to endure season-ending surgery due to a knee injury sustained in the first preseason game of the previous campaign. McCarthy played one series in the team's preseason game against the Houston Texans and has shown improvement in recent months.
McCarthy will be without his No. 2 wide receiver, Jordan Addison, for Monday's game and the next two games after that, as he serves a suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. However, he should get a sizeable boost with All-Pro Justin Jefferson on the receiving end of his passes. Jefferson ranked No. 9 in the NFL's Top 100 list for 2025, catching 103 passes for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
The Vikings have won seven of the last eight meetings, including a 30-12 victory in December 2024, the last time the two teams squared off.
Vikings starting tackle Christian Darrisaw is questionable with a knee injury, though he fully participated in practice on Friday, according to the team's injury report. Safety Harrison Smith, running back Zavier Scott and defensive lineman Elijah Williams have all been ruled out.
Despite having a 14-3 record the previous season, Minnesota was abruptly knocked out of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Rams 27-9 in the opening round. Chicago wants to improve on their 5–12 record from the previous campaign.
The kickoff time is set for 7:15 p.m. For real-time game updates, watch below.
