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          Jonathan Owens returns blocked punt for Bears' first TD

          • Courtney Cronin, ESPN Staff WriterSep 8, 2024, 03:23 PM ET
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              Courtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings before switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a frequent panelist on Around the Horn and host of Best Week Ever on ESPN Radio. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News as a multimedia sports journalist.

          CHICAGO -- Through 2½ quarters of the Chicago Bears' season opener, No. 1 pick Caleb Williams was an afterthought in his NFL debut.

          The Bears' special teams unit stepped up Sunday to score Chicago's first touchdown of the season to pull the score to 17-10 with 9:04 in the third quarter.

          Defensive end Daniel Hardy blocked Tennessee's punt attempt, which was recovered and returned by safety Jonathan Owens. The husband of gold medal gymnast Simone Biles returned the ball 18 yards for Chicago's first touchdown of the 2024 season.

          After the Bears offense failed to score a touchdown at the end of the second quarter, kicker Cairo Santos booted a 24-yard field goal to give the Bears their only points of the half after Williams and the offense struggled to move the ball.