Jeremy Langford is listed as the starting running back on the Bears depth chart. (Getty)
It’s time for some football.
The NFL’s preseason finally kicks off Thursday night with a 6 games around the league. Technically, last Sunday was supposed to be the start of the NFL season, but the Hall of Fame Game was canceled due to poor field conditions.
One features the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, who head to Soldier Field to meet the Chicago Bears.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. Eastern and it will be televised locally in Chicago by FOX. It will air on KTVD in the Denver area. The game will also be shown in its entirety at 11 p.m. Eastern on the NFL Network.
Both teams will have new pieces in key places.
The Bears lost running back Matt Forte to free agency (New York Jets) and will turn to second-year pro Jeremy Langford, who saw steady action a season ago. Also gone is tight end Martellus Bennett, who was traded to the New England Patriots.
The Broncos have a rather glaring hole at a very important position — quarterback.
Future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning retired and his backup, Brock Osweiler, signed a free agent deal with the Houston Texans. In are former first-round pick Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian, who played with Denver last season. Both are listed as the starter on the team’s first depth chart. As for Thursday night, Sanchez will get the call as starter.
Click here to see the Bears first depth chart.
Starters aren’t expected to play much in the game, if at all. So you’re probably not going to see much of Bears quarterback Jay Cutler or Broncos wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders.
Here’s what you need to know about the game:
Bears-Broncos Preseason Week 1 Details
When: Thursday, August 11
Where: Soldier Field — Chicago, Illinois
Time: 8 p.m. Eastern
TV Channel: FOX in the Chicago area and KTVD in Denver (the game will be shown in its entirety at 11 p.m. ET on the NFL Network)
Betting Line: EVEN (O/U 35) (courtesy of OddsShark.com)
