The Vikings and Bears will each learn a lot this season about their first-round quarterback from the 2024 draft, starting tonight on Monday Night Football.
Selected by the Bears with the first overall pick, Caleb Williams had a rocky rookie season but is operating a new offense this year under Ben Johnson, who took the top job with the Bears after enjoying great success leading the Detroit Lions offense the past three seasons.
For the Vikings, J. J. McCarthy was the 10th pick and then missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury. He will be making his first NFL start tonight for a team that went 14-3 last season.
Tonight's Monday Night Football game kicks off in Chicago at 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT) on ABC and ESPN. You can flip over to ESPN2 during the game to catch the ManningCast with brothers Peyton and Eli, the popular alternative broadcast where the former NFL greats analyze the game and chat with different guests each week.
Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears host the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football tonight. Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images
How to watch Vikings vs. Bears on Monday Night Football
If you don't have a cable or satellite TV subscription, you can watch tonight's game on ABC and ESPN or the ManningCast on ESPN2 with a live TV streaming service. You can also watch the main broadcast and the ManningCast with ESPN's new direct-to-consumer streaming service.
ESPN ESPN DTC: $30 per month MNF on ESPN and ABC ESPN DTC launched last month and comes in two flavors. The ESPN Unlimited plan costs $30 a month (or $300 a year) and lets you stream all of ESPN's linear networks: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network and ACC Network. You also get access to programming on ESPN on ABC, ESPN Plus, ESPN3, SECN+ and ACCNX. For NFL fans, this new ESPN streaming service will let you watch every Monday Night Football game as well as ManningCast for the 12 weeks it airs (11 weeks during the regular season and a Wild Card playoff game). There's also a $12-a-month ESPN Select plan that's basically a rebranding of ESPN Plus. With it, you'll have access to thousands of live games (think small college conferences, whose games you can't watch anywhere else) but not the NFL. Starting Oct. 2, you can save $10 a month and get the ESPN DTC and Fox One bundle for $40 a month. See at ESPN
Sling/CNET Sling Orange Carries ESPN for $46 a month Sling's Orange plan costs $46 a month and includes ESPN but none of the other channels you need to watch the NFL this season. To get ESPN along with ABC, NBC, Fox and NFL Network, you would need to get the $61-a-month Sling Orange and Blue plan. But even then, you wouldn't get CBS for its Sunday afternoon games, making Sling a poor fit for NFL fans. Read our Sling TV review. See at Sling TV
All the live TV streaming services above allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.
An over-the-air TV antenna provides another option to watch the game on ABC. The best part about antennas is that there are no streaming or monthly fees required, although you will need to make sure you have good reception.