# 2024 Chicago Bears season
The 2024 [Chicago Bears](https://www.edgepedia.org/chicago-bears) season was the franchise's 105th season in the [National Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-football-league), a campaign that began with playoff expectations around rookie quarterback [Caleb Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/caleb-williams) and ended at 5-12, last place in the NFC North, after a midseason coaching change.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/2024_advanced.htm) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/41b68dc47cf6563253f2a87779f7c1df) The team opened 4-2, then lost ten consecutive games, fired head coach Matt Eberflus on November 29, and closed the year with a dramatic win at Green Bay.[3](https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2024/by-team/chicago-bears) • [4](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/bears-relieve-eberflus-of-duties-elevate-brown-interim-head-coach) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/41b68dc47cf6563253f2a87779f7c1df)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Final record | 5-12, 4th in the NFC North; 310 points scored, 370 allowed[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/2024_advanced.htm) • [5](https://nfcnorth.co/history/season/2024) |
| Head coaches | Matt Eberflus (fired November 29, 2024), then Thomas Brown as interim[4](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/bears-relieve-eberflus-of-duties-elevate-brown-interim-head-coach) |
| Starting quarterback | Caleb Williams, the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, started all 17 games[6](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?qb=WillCa03&yr=2024) • [7](https://www.chicagobears.com/team/players-roster/caleb-williams/logs/2024/reg/) |
| Williams's season | 351 of 562 passing (62.5%) for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 87.8 passer rating[7](https://www.chicagobears.com/team/players-roster/caleb-williams/logs/2024/reg/) |
| Losing streak | Ten consecutive losses from Week 8 through Week 17[2](https://apnews.com/article/41b68dc47cf6563253f2a87779f7c1df) • [3](https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2024/by-team/chicago-bears) |
| Season finale | Cairo Santos's 51-yard field goal as time expired beat the Packers 24-22 at Lambeau Field on January 5, 2025[8](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/game-recap) |
| Aftermath | Ben Johnson agreed to become head coach in January 2025[2](https://apnews.com/article/41b68dc47cf6563253f2a87779f7c1df) |
## Offseason
The Bears entered 2024 after a 7-10 season, and general manager Ryan Poles reshaped the roster around a new quarterback. On January 10, 2024, Eberflus announced that offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and four other offensive assistants had been relieved of their duties.[9](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/bears-bulletin) In the draft, Chicago selected Caleb Williams first overall.[6](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?qb=WillCa03&yr=2024) The team traded quarterback [Justin Fields](https://www.edgepedia.org/justin-fields) to [Pittsburgh](https://www.edgepedia.org/pittsburgh) and added wide receiver Rome Odunze, running back [D'Andre Swift](https://www.edgepedia.org/dandre-swift), wide receiver Keenan Allen, safeties Kevin Byard and Jonathan Owens, and offensive linemen Coleman Shelton and Ryan Bates.[10](https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/07/19/bears-nfl-training-camp-football)
Training camp opened at Halas Hall in Lake Forest among the earliest in the league because the Bears played in the Hall of Fame Game on August 1.[10](https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/07/19/bears-nfl-training-camp-football) Many analysts expected the improved roster to push for a playoff appearance, though observers noted the strength of the [NFC North](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfc-north), where the Lions and Packers were considered better teams heading into the season.[10](https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/07/19/bears-nfl-training-camp-football)
## First half of the season
**A winning start.** Chicago went 4-0 in the preseason, beating the Texans 21-17 in the Hall of Fame Game, the Bills 33-6, the Bengals 27-3, and the Chiefs 34-21.[3](https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2024/by-team/chicago-bears) The regular season opened with a 24-17 win over the [Tennessee Titans](https://www.edgepedia.org/tennessee-titans) on September 8.[3](https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2024/by-team/chicago-bears) After losses to Houston (19-13) and [Indianapolis](https://www.edgepedia.org/indianapolis) (21-16), the Bears beat the Rams 24-18, then routed the Panthers 36-10 on October 6 to reach 3-2.[3](https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2024/by-team/chicago-bears)
In Week 6 the Bears won their London game, defeating the [Jacksonville Jaguars](https://www.edgepedia.org/jacksonville-jaguars) 35-16 on October 13 to improve to 4-2.[3](https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2024/by-team/chicago-bears) After a bye in Week 7, the season turned: Chicago lost 18-15 at Washington on October 27 and 29-9 at Arizona on November 3, then fell 19-3 at home to New England on November 10.[3](https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2024/by-team/chicago-bears)
## The losing streak and Eberflus's dismissal
**Ten straight losses.** From Week 8 through Week 17 the Bears did not win. Divisional play was especially costly: Green Bay won 20-19 on November 17, Minnesota won 30-27 on November 24, and Detroit won 23-20 on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, after the Bears fell behind 16-0 at halftime; rookie Caleb Williams threw three second-half touchdown passes in Detroit, but the rally fell short.[3](https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2024/by-team/chicago-bears) • [8](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/game-recap) Chicago also lost 38-13 at San Francisco on December 8, 30-12 at Minnesota on Monday night December 16, 34-17 at home to Detroit on December 22, and 6-3 to Seattle on [Thursday Night Football](https://www.edgepedia.org/thursday-night-football) on December 26, a game with 13 punts and no touchdowns.[3](https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2024/by-team/chicago-bears) • [8](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/game-recap)
The day after the Detroit loss, on November 29, 2024, the Bears relieved [Matt Eberflus](https://www.edgepedia.org/matt-eberflus) of his duties and elevated offensive coordinator Thomas Brown to interim head coach.[4](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/bears-relieve-eberflus-of-duties-elevate-brown-interim-head-coach) Eberflus finished with a 14-32 record in Chicago, a .304 winning percentage that ranked as the third-worst in the franchise's 105-year history.[11](https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/12/02/bears-end-eberflus-era-new-coach-search-poles-warren) The expectation for the third year of the rebuild had been a playoff appearance, and the team's 4-8 record at the time of the firing was a disappointment for both Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles.[11](https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/12/02/bears-end-eberflus-era-new-coach-search-poles-warren) Brown, who joined the Bears in 2024 as offensive passing game coordinator after serving as Carolina's offensive coordinator in 2023, ran the team for the final five games.[4](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/bears-relieve-eberflus-of-duties-elevate-brown-interim-head-coach)
## Season finale and aftermath
Chicago closed the season with its only win in more than two months. On January 5, 2025, at [Lambeau Field](https://www.edgepedia.org/lambeau-field), Cairo Santos made a 51-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Packers 24-22, ending the ten-game skid and setting the final record at 5-12.[8](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/game-recap) • [3](https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2024/by-team/chicago-bears) The Bears finished last in the NFC North for a fourth straight losing season.[2](https://apnews.com/article/41b68dc47cf6563253f2a87779f7c1df)
**A new coach.** In January 2025 the Bears hired Ben Johnson, previously the [Detroit Lions](https://www.edgepedia.org/detroit-lions)' offensive coordinator, as head coach, with the development of Caleb Williams named the top priority.[2](https://apnews.com/article/41b68dc47cf6563253f2a87779f7c1df)
## Caleb Williams's rookie year
Williams, the first overall pick, started all 17 games and completed 351 of 562 passes (62.5%) for 3,541 yards with 20 touchdowns, six interceptions, and an 87.8 passer rating.[7](https://www.chicagobears.com/team/players-roster/caleb-williams/logs/2024/reg/) He showed streaks of strong play, including a stretch without an interception in six consecutive games entering Week 14, when he owned the second-lowest interception percentage among NFL quarterbacks since Week 4.[12](https://media.49ers.1rmg.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/03083454/bears_dec_8_2024_at_san-francisco-49ers_weekly_release.pdf)
## Schedule notes
The 2024 schedule opened with three consecutive games against [AFC South](https://www.edgepedia.org/afc-south) opponents, the first time since division realignment in 2002 that the Bears started a season against three straight non-NFC North teams.[12](https://media.49ers.1rmg.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/03083454/bears_dec_8_2024_at_san-francisco-49ers_weekly_release.pdf) The Week 12 home game against Minnesota marked the 126th all-time regular-season meeting between the rivals, and the Week 17 home game against Seattle closed the Thursday Night Football calendar.[12](https://media.49ers.1rmg.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/03083454/bears_dec_8_2024_at_san-francisco-49ers_weekly_release.pdf)
## References
1. [2024 Chicago Bears Advanced Stats, Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/2024_advanced.htm)
2. [Ben Johnson agrees to become Bears head coach, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/41b68dc47cf6563253f2a87779f7c1df)
3. [NFL 2024 Chicago Bears Schedule, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2024/by-team/chicago-bears)
4. [Bears relieve Eberflus of duties, elevate Brown, Chicago Bears Official Website](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/bears-relieve-eberflus-of-duties-elevate-brown-interim-head-coach)
5. [NFC North 2024 Season: Standings & Champion, NFCNORTH.CO](https://nfcnorth.co/history/season/2024)
6. [QB Starts by Caleb Williams in 2024, Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?qb=WillCa03&yr=2024)
7. [Caleb Williams 2024 Regular Season Game Log, Chicago Bears Official Website](https://www.chicagobears.com/team/players-roster/caleb-williams/logs/2024/reg/)
8. [Rapid Recap: Bears close 2024 season with dramatic victory over Packers, Chicago Bears Official Website](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/game-recap)
9. [Bears Bulletin, Chicago Bears Official Website](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/bears-bulletin)
10. [Bears get jump on start of NFL training camp, Axios Chicago](https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/07/19/bears-nfl-training-camp-football)
11. [Eberflus firing another misstep for Bears organization, Axios Chicago](https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/12/02/bears-end-eberflus-era-new-coach-search-poles-warren)
12. [Chicago Bears Week 14 game release at San Francisco 49ers](https://media.49ers.1rmg.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/03083454/bears_dec_8_2024_at_san-francisco-49ers_weekly_release.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › National Football League › NFL teams and franchises › NFL team seasons 2020 to present*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license