2021 NFL Schedule News: Chicago Bears reportedly opening on Sunday Night Football
The 2021 NFL Regular Season scheduled is scheduled to be released on Wednesday night during a live special on NFL Network and the Chicago Bears could be featured heavily. Despite the planned release of the schedule, it has become tradition for portions of the 2021 NFL Schedule to be leaked in the 24 hours leading up to the event.
That was the case on Tuesday as the Bears’ Week 1 opponent has reportedly been leaked. Danny Parkins of 670 The Score is reporting that the Chicago Bears will open the 2021 NFL Season against the Los Angeles Rams in Los Angeles. Perhaps more important than the news of facing the Rams to open the season is that this will be the season debut game for NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
Week 1 Bears open in LA on Sunday Night Football against the Rams.
— Danny Parkins (@DannyParkins) May 11, 2021
The move speaks volumes about what the NFL expects from the Chicago Bears this season. From that perspective, it certainly is impressive to see how quickly the reputation surrounding the Bears has changed since the end of the 2020 season. The NFL cared so little about the Bears that their 2020 Wild Card playoff game aired on Nickelodeon. Now, the Bears will be on center stage to open the 2021 season with the possibility of having Fields make his first start.
Ever since the 2021 NFL Draft, the Bears have been the talk of the NFL given their trade up in the first round to select Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. Bears’ head coach Matt Nagy has essentially been on a national media tour since the Bears selection of Fields. While the plan is currently for the Bears to start veteran Andy Dalton on Week 1 of the 2021 NFL regular season, Nagy has softened his stance and left open the possibility that Fields unseats Dalton before the start of the regular season:
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"And then we just got to decide then when we get to that point, how is he developing and how is everybody doing, and really keeping it as honest as possible with all of those guys. Then when the time is right, I promise you every single person will know including Justin when it’s the right time, and that’s naturally how it happens.”"
Clearly, the NFL feels that the timing may be Week 1 in Los Angeles for Sunday Night Football. Even in the event that Fields does not start Week1, a poor performance by Dalton against the Rams may trigger the switch to Field.
During the 2020 NFL regular season, the Bears lost 24-10 to the Rams on Monday Night Football during Week 7. Though, the Rams have quite a different look to them since that Week 7 game in 2020.
The Bears will be facing a familiar opposing quarterback during their Week 1 matchup of the 2021 NFL regular season as former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford will be making his Rams’ debut. Stafford was traded by the Lions to the Rams earlier this season in a deal that saw Jared Goff and several draft picks be sent to the Lions.
Next. What Justin Fields has to do in order to be named starter. dark
Should Justin Fields start Week1 for the Chicago Bears against the Los Angeles Rams? Sound off in the comments section with your thoughts.