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Bears at Seahawks: two late arrivals bring the line of scrimmage into focus

Chicago has added Jeffery Simmons to its defense. Seattle has brought in Quenton Nelson while losing left tackle Charles Cross. Their first test together on Monday night could determine how much room the quarterbacks have to reach their playmakers.

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Aerial view of the Seahawks stadium and its two white roof canopies in Seattle.
An aerial view of Seattle’s Lumen Field, venue for Bears at Seahawks. File photo from 2002. © Cloveious / Wikimedia Commons (file photo)

A week ago Seattle held Kansas City to a field goal. Now the Seahawks face an offense led by a returning Caleb Williams, with a reshaped offensive line of their own. Quenton Nelson arrived in a trade from Indianapolis, Grey Zabel is moving across to right guard and Josh Jones is set to replace the injured Charles Cross at left tackle. Chicago's new defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons has had even less time to learn his assignment. Both clubs have added an elite interior player just before a matchup that may be won by the group that settles fastest, rather than the team that made the louder trade.

  • Competition: 2026 NFL regular season, Week 8.
  • Matchup: Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks.
  • Kickoff: Monday, November 2, 5:15 p.m. PST in Seattle; 8:15 p.m. EST on the U.S. East Coast (Tuesday, November 3, 01:15 UTC).
  • Venue: Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington.

Seattle's new left side faces an immediate examination

The Seahawks are 4-3 after beating the Chiefs 20-3 on October 25. Their defense kept Kansas City out of the end zone, while the offense gained 410 yards and converted 11 of 16 third downs. Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught nine passes for 150 yards and a touchdown. Sam Darnold completed 20 of 28 for 257 yards and a score, though his interception in the end zone was a reminder that productive drives do not always become points. Seattle had lost its previous two games; the Chiefs result showed a more sustained attack without proving every problem had disappeared.

Coach Mike Macdonald has said Nelson will play left guard and Zabel will switch to the right. Nelson's long record as a top guard is not in question, but the terminology and timing of a new offense still have to be learned. Cross is out with an ankle injury, so Jones will start at left tackle, according to Macdonald's final update. Chicago can test those adjustments through the middle and off the edge. The extent of Simmons' role, however, remains uncertain: after joining the Bears from Tennessee on Thursday, he said he was still absorbing the playbook and did not know how many snaps he would play Monday.

There is a welcome return in Seattle's backfield. Zach Charbonnet has no game designation, and Macdonald confirmed he will play after the knee injury he suffered in last season's divisional playoff round. Rookie Jadarian Price has returned to practice and has no injury designation either, but the Seahawks still needed to add him to their 53-man roster for him to be eligible. A healthy practice report is not the same as an active roster spot.

Williams brings Chicago's deep passing game back west

The Bears are 5-2. Williams returned from a hamstring injury in Week 6 and led back-to-back wins, including a 30-24 victory over New England on October 22. He threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns against the Patriots. Chicago logged eight completions of at least 20 yards in that game, with Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland and Rome Odunze among the targets stretching the field. D'Andre Swift added 78 rushing yards and a touchdown. The longer break since a Thursday game gives Chicago preparation time, but the Seahawks' performance against the Chiefs illustrates the resistance those routes may meet.

Seattle's coverage and pass rush will need to stop Williams from working comfortably downfield. Chicago's line must allow enough time for deeper routes, while the quarterback has to recognize when a short completion is preferable. At the other end, Seattle's newly arranged protection has to deal with a Bears defense that has just added Simmons alongside Montez Sweat. The arrival does not guarantee a full workload for Simmons. It does give Seattle another interior threat to account for when Darnold wants Smith-Njigba to uncover beyond the first read.

The running game could change the rhythm of that contest. Emanuel Wilson's 21-yard touchdown run helped close the win over Kansas City, and Charbonnet's return offers another option in protection and on the ground. Chicago will be without Kyle Monangai for a fourth straight game, leaving Swift especially important to its balance. Neither side has named a final play-by-play plan; these are the matchups created by the available personnel and the last completed games.

Injury and availability report, October 31

Seattle Seahawks

  • Charles Cross: out with an ankle injury; Josh Jones has been named to play left tackle.
  • Rashid Shaheed: out with a knee injury.
  • Velus Jones Jr.: out with a hamstring injury.
  • Uchenna Nwosu: doubtful with an ankle injury, which is distinct from being ruled out.
  • Anthony Bradford, Drew Lock, Patrick O'Connell and Brandon Pili: questionable with knee, right-elbow, toe and back problems respectively. Lock is the backup quarterback; Darnold remains the starter.
  • Zach Charbonnet: no game designation and confirmed to return by Macdonald. Jadarian Price: no game designation, but still awaiting an active-roster move.

Chicago Bears

  • Kyle Monangai: out with thumb and toe injuries.
  • Malik Muhammad and D'Marco Jackson: questionable with toe and ankle injuries respectively.
  • T.J. Edwards: no game designation after full participation all week; the Bears say he is set to return after missing two games. Colston Loveland and Jack Sanborn: no final designation, which does not establish that either will start.

How to watch Bears at Seahawks

  • Venue: Lumen Field, Seattle.
  • Kickoff in Seattle: Monday, November 2, 5:15 p.m. PST.

United States

  • Date and time: Monday, November 2, 8:15 p.m. EST / 5:15 p.m. PST.
  • TV: ESPN nationally. WCIU is also listed for the Chicago area only.
  • Streaming: ESPN+ is listed in the Bears' game-specific guide. NFL+ mobile viewing is subject to the service's local-market limits.

Australia

  • Date and time: Tuesday, November 3, 12:15 p.m. AEDT in Sydney and Melbourne; 11:15 a.m. AEST in Brisbane.
  • TV: no Australian linear channel was identified in the game-specific official information checked.
  • Streaming: the Seahawks' official game guide says Australian viewers can watch on mobile devices through the Seahawks app or Seahawks.com; device and geographic restrictions apply.

United Kingdom

  • Date and time: Tuesday, November 3, 1:15 a.m. GMT.
  • TV: Sky Sports NFL and Sky Sports Main Event list this game, with coverage scheduled from 1:00 a.m. GMT.
  • Streaming: access to those channels through a qualifying Sky Sports subscription; check the provider's current service terms.

Chicago's fresh interior defender and Seattle's reworked line will meet immediately under the lights. The result should also reveal whether the Seahawks can repeat their defensive control against a passing offense that found eight gains of 20 yards or more last time out.