The Chicago Bears will kick off the NFL's 100th season under the lights when they host the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, Sept. 5 at Soldier Field.

“As an organization, we are thrilled to be kicking off the 100th season of football in the NFL,” Bears chairman George H. McCaskey said. “As a charter franchise, we cannot think of a better way to begin our centennial season by hosting our longtime rival in prime time at Soldier Field.”

“Chicago is honored to host the NFL’s 2019 kickoff game and centennial celebration,” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. “George ‘Papa Bear’ Halas and the NFL’s co-founders probably didn’t imagine the federation they established 100 years ago in cities and towns across the Midwest would one day be the most successful professional sports league in the world, but that’s what their vision achieved. Chicago – the most American of American cities – is the perfect venue for this game and on September 5th, all eyes will be on Soldier Field as the Monsters of the Midway take the field to celebrate the start of the NFL’s centennial season.”

The Bears-Packers rivalry is the oldest in the NFL, dating to 1921. The two teams will be meeting for the 199th time with Green Bay owning a slight edge in the all-time series, 97-95-6.

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