With training camps now set to enter full swing, that can mean just one thing – the NFL is almost back. Looking ahead to the preseason schedule and one particular match that jumps up off the page is the clash between the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears. Soldier Field will host the preseason clash between the Browns and the Bears in AugustGettyOn August 15, the two sides will meet at Soldier Field to each kick off their pre-season campaigns as they bid to prepare in the best way possible ahead of the 2027 NFL season. The two teams last met in December 2025 in a blowout 31-3 win for the Bears as quarterback Caleb Williams completed 17-of-28 passing for 242 yards and two touchdowns. The quarterback on the other end of the field that day was Shedeur Sanders, who completed just 18-of-35 passing for 177 yards and three interceptions, though his team was injury-ravaged entering the contest. The performances on that day resembled each team’s respective seasons, with the Bears going on to claim their first NFC North title since the 2018 season, though they would go on to narrowly lose 20-17 to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime of the Divisional Round of the playoffs.The Browns, however, were off the pace from the jump and cycled through four different quarterbacks during the season, and win just five games. What time does the Browns-Bears pre-season game start and where can I watch? The pre-season opener between the Browns and the Bears will take place on August 15, 2026. The game will kick off at 1pm EST (10am PST). For those fans who are unable to make the trip to Soldier Field in Illinois can watch the game on NFL Network, which has recently just been taken over by ESPN in a multi-billion dollar equity agreement. National viewers and subscribers to NFL+ can stream the live broadcast on mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs.Browns’ huge offseason overuhaulThe Browns’ disappointing 2025 led to a huge overhaul in the offseason, including the firing of Kevin Stefanski on ‘Black Monday‘, with former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken taking over the reins in his maiden NFL head coaching role. The last time the two sides met, Sanders (L) and the Browns were on the end of a 31-3 blowout defeatGettyCleveland acquired Verse in the stunning trade that sent Myles Garrett to the RamsGettyThe upside of the Browns failing to reach the playoffs again, having made the playoffs just three times since 2000, is that they had some top draft picks, and used them well. Not only did they acquire offensive tackle Spencer Fano with the ninth overall pick to fix a glaring hole in their otherwise depleted o-line, but they also bolstered their receiving corps with the additions of KC Concepcion with the 24th overall pick, and Denzel Boston with their second-round pick – 39th overall. They did however lose two-time Defensive Player of the Year and single-season sack record holder Myles Garrett, stunning the entire league when the Browns brass traded him to the Rams. However, they were able to acquire rising star and Ohio native, Jared Verse, in exchange, who has only two years of experience thus far, but has already recorded 124 tackles, including 22 tackles for loss, 45 QB hits, and 12 sacks.One thing that Monken does need to decide, though, is who will be his starting signal caller for the 2026 campaign, with the QB carousel that dominated the discourse throughout the 2025 season still very much carrying into 2026. As it stands, it appears to be a two-horse race between Sanders and the now-healthy Deshaun Watson, who has not taken to an NFL field since October 2024. Watson (L) and Sanders (R) continue to battle to be named QB1GettyIf an official decision has not been made before pre-season gets underway, then the game against Chicago could be a huge determining factor. Bears hoping Williams can be an MVP candidateThe Bears know that they perhaps have a generational talent on their hands with Williams. The former No. 1 overall pick took huge strides in his development last season, in which he completed 58.1 percent of his passing for 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. ‘The Iceman’ also rushed for an additional 388 yards and three scores as the Bears finished the season with 11 wins for the first time since 2018. Having set a Bears franchise record for single-season passing yards, now some are tipping him for winning the coveted Most Valuable Player award next season. Television personality Kay Adams is fully in Williams’ corner for the MVP. Williams took monumental strides in his development last seasonGetty“Dark Horse MVP, I don’t know why he’s a dark horse, Caleb Williams, ever heard of him?” Adams said back in June. “Cover of Madden. I just want to show his footage and remember these amazing highs we got from Caleb Williams, the aura off the charts, chemistry is building, confidence is building. “Got better every game, the talent’s there. He was working miracles last year.“Everything we’re hearing out of Chicago is how he’s been getting more comfortable and confident with Ben Johnson this offseason, dialed in. “As great as he was last year, I do think the ceiling is much higher. I see people point out the completion percentage, some of the areas for improvement, like it’s a bad thing. What is wrong with you people? “He won 11 games and pushed for a Super Bowl despite all of that, can you imagine what it would look like if he cleaned all that stuff up? … I’m all in on that.”