The NFL officially released its 2025 schedule on Wednesday night. For the Bears, there are some intriguing matchups already on the schedule. Ben Johnson will return to Detroit to face the Lions in Week 2. But the game that many Bears have circled on their calendar by now is the following week's matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
When the Dallas Cowboys travel to Soldier Field, it will be a familiar face returning to the Windy City. Matt Eberflus, now the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, will be back in Chicago for the first time since he was fired the day after Thanksgiving last year.
And to add more intrigue to this game, Fox Sports announced the "America's Game Of The Week" schedule, and this game will be televised at 4:25/3:25 CST, and they will send their No. 1 team of Kevin Burkhart and Tom Brady.
IT'S HERE! 🚨
— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) May 15, 2025
The 2025 @NFLonFOX regular season schedule highlights the league's elite NFC roster combined with more key AFC teams than ever before 👏
A fan favorite, AMERICA'S GAME OF THE WEEK returns with marquee showdowns including Eagles-Chiefs, Lions-Bengals,… pic.twitter.com/l6GdcSw4YB
FOX knows this game is more than just a reunion
Eberflus was a disaster as the Bears' head coach. During his two-plus seasons, he compiled a 14-32 record. Last season, he displayed a lack of accountability on multiple occasions. It came against the Washington Commanders game, dubbed "Fail Mary" by many Bears fans. Eberflus did not take any ownership for allowing the Commanders to gain a free 13 yards to set up an easier Hail Mary pass attempt for quarterback Jayden Daniels.
But the one that finally pushed Eberflus out the door was an embarrassing Thanksgiving loss to the Detroit Lions. The Bears trailed the Lions by three points with 33 seconds left. After Caleb Williams was sacked, which pushed them out of the field goal range, Eberflus inexplicably ran the clock down to 7 seconds rather than using their final time. The Bears attempted one last pass, but it was incomplete and never had a chance.
On the positive side, it paved the way for the Bears to hire Ben Johnson after enduring ten straight losses following the Commanders' game. With Williams in his second season and Johnson calling plays, the fans hope the Bears are finally ready to turn the page on years of mediocrity.
The media will be asking Eberflus about his time as a head coach and his firing leading up to the game. While Eberflus is likely downplaying the significance, the emotional weight of returning to face the team where his NFL head coaching journey began and ended won’t be lost on anyone watching.
You will likely get the same response from the Bears' players when they are asked about Eberflus' return to Chicago. But make no mistake. This game is about more than Matt Eberflus. They must prove they are a much-improved team under Ben Johnson and beat Eberflus' defense. It would be a sweet redemption and progress for both the Bears and their fans.