Chicago Bears vs. Seattle Seahawks

The Chicago Bears (4-11) will play the Seattle Seahawks (8-7) on Thursday at Soldier Field in a Week 17 matchup. Here’s what you need to know before kickoff (7:15 p.m., Prime Video and Fox-32).

Inactives: Gervon Dexter returns to Bears defensive line, but Zacch Pickens inactive

Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter will return to the lineup for the first time since Dec. 8 when the Bears host the Seahawks on Thursday night at Soldier Field.

Dexter missed the last two games with a knee injury and was limited all week in practice but is good to go. However, fellow second-year defensive tackle Zacch Pickens is a surprise inactive.

Guard/center Doug Kramer, who was dealing with a shoulder injury, and linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga, who had a hip injury, are active.

The Bears previously declared out left guard Teven Jenkins, who has a calf injury. And they will be without starting left tackle Braxton Jones, who went on injured reserve with a broken ankle this week.

The Bears on Wednesday also declared out running back Travis Homer, safety Elijah Hicks and defensive back Tarvarius Moore. Linebacker Noah Sewell is also inactive.

For the Seahawks, cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett, tight end Brady Russell, linebacker Patrick O’Connell, offensive tackle Michael Jerrell, wide receiver Cody White and quarterback Jaren Hall are inactive.

5 things to watch — plus our predictions

Despite a dismal couple of months for the Bears, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has had some strong moments, including as he threw for 334 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 16.

That outing upped his season total to 3,271 yards with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions, bringing him just 568 yards from breaking the Bears single-season passing record with two games to go. He already has the best rookie season in franchise history and is sixth on the Bears all-time list.

The Lions game also was Williams’ ninth straight without throwing an interception, an NFL rookie record, and his 326 pass attempts without an interception is the sixth-longest single-season stretch in NFL history, according to the Bears.

Thursday’s game is another chance to build on his numbers against a Seahawks defense that is middle-of-the-road in most categories, though it does rank 12th in third-down and red-zone percentages. Read more here.

Bears’ new offensive line poster: ‘Help wanted’

Left tackle Braxton Jones becomes the third Bears offensive lineman to finish the season on injured reserve in a year when almost anything that can go wrong in the trenches has.

Twelve linemen have played. Nine have started, and that number is expected to reach 10 with left guard Teven Jenkins ruled out with a calf injury for Thursday night’s game against the Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field. Jake Curhan will likely replace him.

It’s just the latest dilemma for the organization, which had more depth and flexibility when the year began. All of it has been tested. Much of it has failed or been injured. It has removed suspense from offseason planning.

What should the Bears do? Shop for offensive linemen. Then go find more of them. Read more here.

Where did it all go wrong?

Who would have ever imagined the Bears would be here on Christmas morning, with nary a football present and a dark lump of something beneath a scraggly tree that looks like it belongs on Mount Crumpit.

This, certainly, wasn’t what was promised. This wasn’t what anyone was imagining back in the summer when the “Hard Knocks” hype was peaking, when all the growing optimism felt justified, when general manager Ryan Poles was touting the leadership style of his head coach and the depth of the offensive line he built.

Back then, the positive energy inside Halas Hall and all around Chicago was infectious. Visions of meaningful football being played around the Christmas holiday were everywhere. The playoffs felt like a possibility.

Turns out that was all flimsy, hope-filled delusion. Read more here.

About Week 16

The Bears got their slow-starting offense rolling in the first half — they had 225 yards and 14 points — but Sunday’s 34-17 loss to the Detroit Lions was never really close, not after two early turnovers and a slew of penalties and not against the high-octane Lions offense.

The result was the ninth consecutive Bears loss — the second-longest single-season losing streak in team history — and it dropped them to 4-11. It’s a lot more of the same as the team struggles to the finish line with interim coach Thomas Brown. Read more here.

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