The Bears aren’t the NFL’s TV darlings yet, but they’re certainly auditioning to be.
Since drafting quarterback Caleb Wiliams with the first pick in the 2024 draft, the Bears’ national-TV exposure slowly but surely has increased. They had three prime-time games in Williams’ rookie season and four last season. They’re scheduled for five this season.
But the NFL doesn’t just look at night games. On the whole, it tracks stand-alone games. With more outlets airing games in more windows, the league has more chances to show its best teams. The NFL has the Bears playing in seven such games across six outlets — ABC, CBS, ESPN, NBC, Netflix and Prime. That’s two more stand-alone games than they had in 2024 and 2025.
The Bears also have two appearances in the NFL’s most-viewed window, 3:25 p.m. Sunday, both on Fox. That’s up from one last season and none the season before. And those five night games include a stretch of three in a row from Week 7 to 9. The nation will get its fill of the Bears.
It also will get some new broadcast teams. After putting top analyst Tony Romo on leave because of his drunk-driving charge, CBS moved J.J. Watt from the second team to join Jim Nantz. Ross Tucker replaced Watt alongside Ian Eagle. Since being taken over by ESPN, NFL Network has new crews, as well as, but the Bears won’t appear there.
What follows is my annual, fruitless attempt to predict which crews will call each Bears game. Crews for Sunday afternoons in Weeks 1-2 have been set, and we know the national crews. The rest are based on intuition and preference.
Week 1: at Panthers, noon, Fox — Bulls TV voice Adam Amin, analyst Drew Brees and sideline reporter Kristina Pink will call it.
Week 2: vs. Vikings, noon, Fox — Joe Davis, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver have the call.
Week 3: vs. Eagles, 7:15 p.m., ESPN/ABC — The “Monday Night Football” crew of Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and reporters Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge will call it.
Week 4: vs. Jets, noon, Fox — The Cowboys, Packers and Rams also play on Fox this week. A New York-Chicago game is perfect for Kenny Albert, former Jets LB Jonathan Vilma and Megan Olivi.
Week 5: at Packers, 3:25 p.m., Fox — The “America’s Game of the Week” crew of Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi has the call.
Week 6: at Falcons, noon, Fox — A soft slate sends the No. 2 crew to Atlanta, but it won’t include Davis, who’ll be away calling the MLB postseason. Fox has yet to announce his fill-in.
Week 7: vs. Patriots, 7:15 p.m., Prime — Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung have the call.
Week 8: at Seahawks, 7:15 p.m., ESPN — Not only will Bears fans get Buck and Aikman, they’ll get the Manning brothers. “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli” will air on ESPN2.
Week 9: vs. Buccaneers, 7:20 p.m., NBC 5 — Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark will call it.
Week 10: Bye
Week 11: vs. Saints, noon, Fox — Fox also has the Bills and Cowboys. Sounds like a good fit for Amin, who surely will enjoy a home game. Then he can call Cavaliers-Bulls on Monday.
Week 12: at Lions, noon, CBS — Jim Nantz, J.J. Watt and Tracy Wolfson get their first look at the Bears on Thanksgiving.
Week 13: vs. Jaguars, noon, Fox — The Jaguars got a lot of fifth and sixth crews last season — and the team was good! That brings Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston and Allison Williams to town.
Week 14: at Dolphins, noon, CBS — Not a great week for CBS, but Bears fans will have a great week listening to the dulcet tones of Kevin Harlan with Trent Green and Melanie Collins.
Week 15: at Bills, 7:20 p.m., CBS — A Saturday night on CBS brings Nantz and Watt to town.
Week 16: vs. Packers, noon, Netflix — The streamer has a Christmas doubleheader. The top crew of Noah Eagle, Luke Kuechly and reporters Tom Pelissero and MJ Acosta-Ruiz should call Game 1.
Week 17: vs. Lions, 3:25 p.m., Fox — Burkhardt and Brady make their first Chicago appearance this season. Will they return in the postseason?
Week 18: at Vikings, TBD, TBD — With so many stand-alone games, this game appears to be the only one that could be flexed into prime time. Of course, both teams need to be good.
Remote patrol
After the “Hail Mary” travesty last week, beginning Saturday, all football broadcasts from Big Ten venues that include conference replay and on-field officials will be able to supplement the video during reviews with live audio between the referee and replay official.
• The Score midday co-host Mark Grote will host the station’s Bears pregame and postgame shows to start the season, alongside analysts Olin Kreutz and Patrick Mannelly. Zach Zaidman, who’s part of The Score’s Cubs broadcasts, will take over for Grote after baseball season.
• NBC 5 will launch “Tonight with Lou Canellis,” a live, half-hour weeknight show about sports, entertainment and pop culture, at 6:30 p.m. Monday. Contributors will include former Bears coach Dave Wannstedt. Friday shows will be hosted by The Score’s Laurence Holmes.
NFL TV crews
CBS
Jim Nantz, J.J. Watt, Tracy Wolfson
Ian Eagle, Ross Tucker, Evan Washburn
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green, Melanie Collins
Andrew Catalon, Logan Ryan, A.J. Ross
Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta, Aditi Kinkhabwala
Tom McCarthy, Robert Turbin, Tiffany Blackmon
FOX
Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi
Joe Davis, Greg Olsen, Pam Oliver
Adam Amin, Drew Brees, Kristina Pink
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, Megan Olivi
Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston, Allison Williams
Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth, Jen Hale