The “we needed that” folks of the world may be changing their tune in Chicago as the Bears are set to take on the 49ers in an NFL opener that will be bogged down by a pounding rainstorm.
NFL Network’s Stacey Dales reported Sunday on “GameDay Morning,” just hours before the scheduled 1 p.m. kickoff at Soldier Field, that one to three inches of rain had already fallen and about two more inches of rain is expected to fall amid an official flash flood warning.
“It’s like Bermuda rain is what we’re experiencing,” Dales said from the sideline at Soldier Field, where new Bermuda grass was installed during the offseason.
Trey Lance is taking over as the 49ers’ starting quarterback in the lousy playing conditions while fellow second-year quarterback Justin Fields, who Dales recorded experimenting with a glove on his throwing hand, will be under center for the Bears. But both teams are expected to heavily rely on the run game.
Grounds crew members removed a tarp from the field before players came on to warm up, but with the extreme conditions, it will be difficult to keep the field — and players — dry.
Dales later tweeted a video of a grounds crew member pushing a pool of water off the field, and in another video, 49ers players were seen warming up shirtless.
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