The Chicago Bears are coming off a tough 2021 season that ended with a 6-11 record and the firing of head coach Matt Nagy.

Chicago will enter the 2022 season with a new head coach in Matt Eberflus and a new general manager in Ryan Poles.

The Bears have the potential for a quick turnaround. The key will be Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy creating an offense that caters to second-year quarterback Justin Fields' strengths.

For now, I don't think the Bears will be a hot ticket for primetime games. But that could change later in the season with flex scheduling if Chicago gets hot. Here are five games, though, that I think could end up in primetime — even if it's on a Thursday night or a Monday night.

Chicago Bears vs Buffalo Bills

I've said it a lot lately — the Buffalo Bills are one of the most fun teams in the AFC to watch. And it's all because of quarterback Josh Allen. I'll admit that I wasn't sold on Allen coming out of Wyoming. But he's more than proved me wrong. The Bills should be the favorites to win the AFC East in 2022. And Allen making his first career regular-season trip to Soldier Field could make for good television.

Chicago Bears @ Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are always a big primetime draw. This is a game that I think is more likely to land on a Monday night ESPN broadcast. But either way, it's definitely an option for primetime in 2022. These are two of the biggest, most passionate fan bases in all of sports. Give the people what they want, right?

Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers

Either location could work for this game, but I like the idea of Aaron Rodgers' last trip (maybe) to Soldier Field coming on a Sunday night. Hopefully late in the season when this game has major playoff implications.

Chicago Bears vs San Francisco 49ers

This honestly feels like a Thursday night game to me. The 49ers are one of the best teams in the NFC, but will that still be the case if they hand the offense over to Trey Lance? Speaking of Lance, if the 49ers move on from Jimmy Garoppolo, it would mean an intriguing matchup between Justin Fields and Lance — two young quarterbacks with a lot to prove in 2022.

Chicago Bears @ New England Patriots

This is the next best primetime option of all the games on the Bears' schedule. The Patriots aren't the same Patriots without Tom Brady. But it's still Bill Belichick. And as long as he's on the sideline, there's going to be intrigue anytime the Patriots are on the schedule. Chicago and New England don't play often, so this is a game I could see being featured in primetime.

Featured image via Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports