The Chicago Bears are having a moment right now. There’s no denying that. And unless you’ve been living under a rock since mid-January you’ve felt the hype of this moment. What better way to ride that high than watching your beloved Bears play overseas in 2024? The Chicago Bears were selected as one of the three teams to play host for a regular season game in London as part of the NFL International Series. In this article, you’ll find 4 no-brainer reasons why you should start preparing to catch the Chicago Bears in London in 2024.
NOTE: The Bears’ opponent and date of the game have yet to be determined. However, you can start planning your trip across the pond now so you’re not stuck watching it at 7:30am in Tinley Park.
Caleb Williams & Rome Odunze
Listen, having one Top 10 pick in the NFL draft is a good thing for your future. Having two is franchise re-defining. Nailing both of them on paper is cause for celebration and that’s what the Bears accomplished when selecting Caleb Williams (No. 1 overall) and Rome Odunze (No. 9 overall) this past April. Together, these two stud weapons represent the core future of the Chicago Bears.
In two season at the University of Southern California Williams amassed over 8,100 yards passing with 72 touchdowns against only 10 interceptions. He also won the 2022 Heisman Trophy awarded to the best player in college football that season. Rome Odunze, from the University of Washington, was one of the country’s best wide receivers last season, leading the nation with 1,640 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns, helping the Huskies reach the National Championship for the first time since 1991.
Add this to the fact that Chicago Bears traded for Chargers WR Keenan Allen, signed Eagles RB D’Andre Swift, and still have WR DJ Moore and TE Cole Kmet in house; the two rookies are expected to round out the most exciting Bears offense since 2011. I’d fly to London to watch that.
Going for a Winning Record Abroad
The Bears have participated in the NFL International Series twice since the league began playing regular season games overseas in 2005. In those two games the Bears are 1-1. In 2011, the Bears defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-18 and in 2019 the Bears lost to the then-Oakland Raiders 24-21. For everyone’s sake, let’s hope that the Bears finish this season better than the 8-8 records they boasted in 2011 and 2019 respectively.
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For now, the Bears have only played in London. However, the league has expanded its international footprint to Germany, Spain, Mexico, and now Brazil beginning in 2024. According to the NFL’s International Home Marketing Areas initiative, 25 teams were selected to freely market their team across eight countries. Since then, 11 more countries have been added to the approved list including France, Ireland, Japan, Nigeria, and South Korea.
As of right now, the Chicago Bears have approved international marketing presence in the United Kingdom and Spain; and Madrid was recently selected as the first new venue for the 2025 season. Los osos en Madrid tal vez?
Getting There is Easier Than You Think
Ponying up serious amounts of cash for a sporting event is the norm, especially in the NFL. It’s like we’re desensitized at this point to paying $275 for the 200 level at shitty Soldier Field in mid-December because it’s “the Chicago thing to do.” That’s all to say do not for a second discount the fact that Chicago Bears fans will travel, and pay handsomely to do so. Green Bay, Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles or London it doesn’t matter, Bears fans will be there.
And the die hards don’t care about they cost. Because why plan a destination wedding when you can have a destination football game planned for you?
Flight: $1,500 per person.
Game Ticket: $350 per person.
Bearing Down in London: Priceless
Don’t quote me on those prices I was simply doing my best Mastercard impression. But you’d be surprised at how accessible the NFL International Series can be. On one hand, you can plan the trip yourself, step-by-step, meticulously trying to control every detail. Or, you can have someone plan your trip for you – including securing your game ticket, hotel accommodations, ensuring you’re at the most electric tailgate, tapping you into the best the city itself has to offer, and more.
I don’t know. Feels like a no brainer to me.
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It’s a Bucket List Item
With everything surrounding the 2024 Chicago Bears a trip to London to play on the big stage feels more like a global coming out party. Let’s be honest, in a vacuum playing overseas is cool, but for those of us that have to watch at home it’s really just more of a hassle. Earlier start times, the domino effect of a wonky schedule before and after the trip, an overall headache for betting and fantasy rosters, you name it.
You know how to combat all of those things? That’s right, just go to the freakin’ game and check something awesome off of your sports bucket list. While the NFL continues to play more and more games overseas, this is still only the third time the Bears have been chosen to participate. It’s the first time they’ve been selected as the designated home team. So, while you can certainly catch any NFL game overseas that you want each and every season, the number of times you have to catch your favorite Chicago Bears aren’t nearly as high…that is unless you’re a London Jaguars fan.
Image by Adam Derewecki from Pixabay