Jonathan Owens returns blocked punt for Bears' first TD

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.