CHICAGO _ A lot is going to have to happen _ in the world and on the football field _ for the Bears' Jan. 3 game against the Packers at Soldier Field to have peak buzz.
First, sports will have to resume after they were halted by the coronavirus pandemic. Fans will have to be allowed into stadiums. And, oh, yeah, the Bears will have to be in the playoff hunt.
But if all three scenarios line up, what a game it could be in Chicago.
The NFL released its schedule for all 32 teams Thursday night despite the many uncertainties about how the season will unfold because of the pandemic. The meeting with the Packers in the regular-season finale is one of several that, while tentative, still deserve a circle on the calendar, if only right now as a pick-me-up for fans longing for sports again.
Here's the Bears' full schedule, which includes four prime-time matchups.
