Bears 2024 schedule is set up perfectly for Caleb Williams to overcome any early rookie mistakes

Of the Bears first 10 games of the regular season in 2024, five of those teams just picked within the first 10 selections of the 2024 NFL Draft; the Tennessee Titans, the Carolina Panthers, the Washington Commanders, the Arizona Cardinals, and the New England Patriots.

Within those first 10 games, those same five teams are projected to win less than seven games during the 2024 season. Here's the forecasted win projections for each of the Bears' 17 opponents.

The Bears light schedule to open the season will be a blessing in disguise for the team's first overall pick Caleb Williams. If Williams stumbles out of the gate as the starter while dealing with expected rookie growing pains, the team will be facing easier opponents and could still pull out wins defensively if Williams flounders.

That will be increasingly important because it will help the rookie quarterback build up his own confidence within the system knowing his team has his back. However, by the time Week 10 is behind the Bears, the team will need Williams to lock in.

Bears will have a backloaded divisional schedule

The Bears are one of two teams who do not play a single divisional game during the first 10 weeks of the season, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That means six of the final eight games for the Bears will be against NFC North opponents. That's must win football if the Bears want to compete for a playoff spot in 2024.

Luckily, the Bears will have 10 weeks behind them to shrug off any rookie mistakes before facing the Green Bay Packers in Chicago in Week 11. Also included within the final eight games of the season is a Week 14 date against the San Francisco 49ers, the reigning NFC Champions, on the road.

By the time Week 11 rolls around, there will be no more room for error for Williams and the rest of the Bears' roster. The NFC North is set to be a bloodbath of a division this upcoming season with all four teams easily able to reach the postseason. Every division game counts in the NFC North and the Bears will have plenty of time to get prepared for those critical matchups.