2011 Chicago Bears season

The 2011 season was the Chicago Bears' 92nd in the National Football League (NFL) and their eighth under head coach Lovie Smith. The defending NFC North champion Bears attempted a return to the playoffs after falling in the NFC Championship Game to their arch-rival Green Bay Packers in 2010. The Bears were scheduled to appear in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game but due to the lockout, the game was cancelled. The Bears traveled to Wembley Stadium in London to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL International Series and played the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day evening in the only scheduled game on that day. Despite starting the season with a 7–3 record, starting quarterback Jay Cutler broke the thumb on his throwing hand and was forced to undergo season-ending surgery. After losing Cutler for the rest of the year, the Bears went 1–5, finishing the season with an 8–8 record and not qualifying for the playoffs. The season would begin somewhat of a lengthy playoff drought for the organization, as they would not return to the playoffs again until 2018.