The preseason for the NFL continues with Week 1 action between the Broncos and Bears live from Soldier Field in Chicago.
Denver is the defending Super Bowl champions and finished 2015 with a 12-4 record, which was the second straight season they ended up with that mark. After winning the AFC West for the fifth consecutive year, the Broncos defeated the Steelers, Patriots and Panthers en route to their third Super Bowl title in franchise history.
Chicago, meanwhile, enters after a forgetful 2015 campaign that saw it finish 6-10 and in fourth place in the NFC North. It marked the fifth straight year that the Bears failed to make the playoffs.
After winning the Super Bowl, many things have changed in Denver. Quarterback Peyton Manning opted to retire on top after earning his second ring and first with the Broncos, while backup Brock Osweiler bolted the organization to sign with the Texans out of free agency on a four-year, $72 million contract.
The Broncos acquired veteran Mark Sanchez after watching both of their quarterbacks leave and traded up at the NFL Draft to acquire Paxton Lynch out of Memphis. Now, the two are set for a quarterback competition, which is set to begin on Thursday. Trevor Siemian is also in the mix and could very well nab the starting job out of the preseason.
All three will be on display in Game 1 of the preseason. Sanchez will start under center on Thursday, while Siemian will take over in the second quarter and Lynch will play in the second half.
"What we're going to do is put a number on reps and what we want to see from each one of them so that from an evaluation standpoint we're looking at things pretty equally," Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said via the Denver Post. That's the most important thing."
For the Bears, Jay Cutler will begin his eighth year as the starting quarterback in Chicago and still has one of the most explosive options in the league at wide receiver in Alshon Jeffrey. Chicago lost running back Matt Forte (Jets), so Jeremy Langford and rookie Jordan Howard will attempt to fill the void.
Game Details & Live Stream
Matchup: Broncos (0-0) at Bears (0-0)
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.
Watch Online: This game can be live streamed for free here. (with free trial).
