Overseason Trip for Justin Fields and Bears

The Bears are coming to Germany, according to a report by ESPN radio's David Kaplan.

Die Bären Kommen Nach Deutschland, or, in English, the Bears are coming to Germany.

The NFL schedule isn't expected to be released until after the April 27-29 draft but some of the information on international games has been released already, and another report has linked the Bears to a game in Germany.

Chicago ESPN radio host David Kaplan reported the Bears will be the visitors and Kansas City Chiefs the home team for a game in Germany this season.

There had been January rumors of this game taking place in Germany, but nothing was verified and then rumors the Chiefs would play Detroit in Germany ensued.

In January, the league announced that the Bills, Titans, Jaguars, Chiefs and Patriots would play international games and that the Patriots and Chiefs will be the teams playing in Germany. German games over the next four years will be played in Munich and Frankfurt.

The league has a program known as the International Home Marketing Area and teams secure international marketing rights in countries outside the U.S., with New England and Kansas City having been awarded German rights.

NFL rules state every team must play at least one international game every eight years. The last Bears international game was in 2019 at London against the Raiders.

This game pitting Justin Fields and Patrick Mahomes would be among the nine road games the Bears must play this season, and isn't one of the eight games that were to be slated for Soldier Field.

This won't be the first Bears appearance in a game played in Germany, although it would be their first regular-season appearance. 

In 1991 coach Mike Ditka took the team to Berlin for the American Bowl, a series of exhibitions the NFL held in European cities. The Bears were in the first of those games in 1986 as defending Super Bowl champions in London.

In the 1991 game in Berlin, the Bears lost 21-7 to Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers. The only Bears points came on wide receiver Glen Kozlowski's 22-yard run.

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