49ers vs. Bears live updates: Sunday Night Football Week 17 game score, highlights

NFL fans will be in for a treat during the penultimate "Sunday Night Football" game of the 2025 regular season.

The San Francisco 49ers are set to host the Chicago Bears in a battle between two playoff teams that could help to decide who ends up earning the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC.

The Bears are fresh off a critical, come-from-behind Week 16 win over the Green Bay Packers that gave them control of the NFC North. Caleb Willia has continued to improve in his first season under Ben Johnson's tutelage while the upgraded offensive line in front of him has coalesced nicely as the campaign has progressed.

Meanwhile, Kyle Shanahan once again has the 49ers poised to be contenders despite enduring a boatload of injuries during the 2025 NFL season. Brock Purdy has been on fire in five starts since returning from a six-week absence due to a toe injury – completing 70.2% of his passes for 1,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions – but will face a nice test against a Bears defense that entered Week 17 leading the NFL in interceptions with 21.

The 49ers are in need of a win to set up a potential winner-take-all battle against the Seattle Seahawks in what is currently a tight NFC West race.

The Bears will need a victory to stay in the running for the NFC's No. 1 seed, so both teams have plenty to play for as the 2025 NFL regular season winds down.

Cairo Santos makes 29-yard field goal to give Bears lead

For the first time since opening the game with a pick-six, the Bears have taken a lead against the 49ers. Chicago mounted an 11-play, 78-yard drive but couldn't quite punch the ball into the end-zone.

Santos was called upon on a fourth-and-goal from the 11-yard line and made the 29-yard kick. The Bears are now leading 38-35 with 5:22 left in regulation.

Bears pressure Brock Purdy, force Thomas Morstead's 1,000th punt

The Bears finally managed to stop the 49ers from scoring again. This time, defensive lineman Austin Booker beat backup left tackle Austen Pleasants and pressured Purdy as he was throwing. The quarterback's throw bounced to the ground as a result, and Morstead was called on to attempt his 1,000th career punt.

Morstead's kick was a good one, and Devin Duvernay was forced to fair catch it at the 11-yard line. There is 11:23 remaining in regulation and the Bears will now look to take their first lead since it was 7-0.

D'Andre Swift scores 22-yard touchdown to open fourth quarter

The Bears have once again tied the game. One play after Caleb Williams completed a fourth-down pass to Colston Loveland to move the chains, Swift took a hand-off to the left side of the line and his blockers opened up a big lane for him.

Cairo Santos made the extra point to tie the game at 35. The game has been tied at 7, 14, 21, 28 and now 35, which NBC's play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico said had never before happened in the NFL regular season.

Bears 35, 49ers 35

How much does Brock Purdy get paid?

Purdy is making just $1.1 million in salary this season, which is the last of the four-year rookie deal he signed with the 49ers after being selected in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

However, Purdy signed a five-year, $265 million extension during the offseason that will kick in during the 2026 NFL season. He also got a $40 million signing bonus for the 2025 NFL season, per Spotrac.com, so he actually made just over $41.1 million in 2025 when factoring in a $8,820 workout bonus in his contract.

Purdy's average annual value (AAV) of $53 million per season on his extension is tied for the seventh-highest in the NFL with Jared Goff. His total contract value of $265 million ranks fifth-highest in the NFL behind only Patrick Mahomes ($450 million), Josh Allen ($330 million), Joe Burrow ($275 million) and Trevor Lawrence ($275 million).

Brock Purdy tosses 6-yard TD to Kyle Juszczyk to put 49ers ahead

The 49ers have now scored touchdowns on all five of their red-zone possessions. This time, Purdy made an incredible play after a play-action pass. He was pressured by a couple of Bears defenders but managed to find a lane through them. He then acted as if he was going to run before throwing the ball back to Juszczyk, who was wide open in the end-zone.

Eddy Pineiro made the extra point and San Francisco is once again up by seven.

49ers 35, Bears 28

Trent Williams injury update

The 49ers have officially ruled starting left tackle Trent Williams out for the remainder of Sunday's game because of a hamstring injury.

Williams suffered the injury on the first play of the game, a Brock Purdy pick-six. Austen Pleasants will continue to play in place of Williams, as he did in the first half.

Bears tie game with D'Andre Swift TD run to open second half

The Bears enjoyed a strong start to the second half. They held the ball for 5:09 and marched down the field, with Caleb Williams hitting Jahdae Walker for a key 19-yard connection on a third-and-14 and Luther Burden scooting for a 23-yard gain after catching a dump-off from Williams.

Chicago capped the drive with a Swift run. TheCairo Santos then banged through an extra point to tie the game back up early in the second half.

Bears 28, 49ers 28

Bears playoff scenarios

The Bears have already wrapped up the NFC North and a top-three seed in the NFC. However, their game against the 49ers will decide whether Chicago has a chance to remain in the race for the NFC's No. 1 overall pick.

With a win against the 49ers, the Bears would clinch a top-two seed in the NFC. However, a loss would ensure Chicago would either get the No. 2 or No. 3 seed, pending the results of the team's Week 18 game against the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles' game against the Washington Commanders.

49ers playoff scenarios

The 49ers have already clinched a playoff berth but need to win against the Bears to remain in the NFC West race.

Below is a look at how the 49ers can clinch the NFC West:

49ers win vs. Bears in Week 17 AND
49ers win vs. Seahawks in Week 18

If the 49ers can't beat both the Bears and the Seahawks, they would be either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the NFC.

Caleb Williams stats at halftime

Williams and the Bears ran just 19 plays compared to the 49ers' 47 in the first half. As such, Williams' stats aren't quite as impressive as Purdy's.

Williams has completed 6 of 12 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns. He had two nice downfield strikes to Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland for the touchdowns but will need to improve upon his shorter-area accuracy to sustain drives in the second half.

Christian McCaffrey stats at halftime

The 49ers have leaned on McCaffrey as their top offensive weapon with George Kittle (ankle) unavailable for Sunday's game. McCaffrey has generated 121 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries while adding two catches for 20 yards through the air.

Brock Purdy stats at halftime

Purdy has remained hot during his Week 17 "Sunday Night Football" game. He has completed 14 of 20 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown while adding 23 yards and two scores on five rushes.

Purdy's lone blemish was the pick-six he threw on the first play of the game. Since then, he has been razor-sharp, leading the 49ers to 330 total yards of offense in the first half.

49ers take 28-21 lead into halftime

The 49ers have just a seven-point lead over the Bears, but San Francisco has been dominant across the first 30 minutes of action.

The 49ers completely controlled the clock, holding onto the ball for 21:56 of the first half. They generated a whopping 330 yards of offense in the first half and only punted once despite losing left tackle Trent Williams to a hamstring injury on the first play of the game.

To their credit, the Bears have stayed in Sunday's game. Caleb Williams has tossed a couple of long touchdowns to rookies Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland while T.J. Edwards opened the game with a pick-six that gave Chicago an early lead.

The Bears will get the ball first coming out of the locker room. They will be looking to sustain drives and keep their defense from tiring in what has thus far been a high-scoring shootout.

Brock Purdy scores 3-yard touchdown on read-option run

Purdy scored his first rushing touchdown of the game on a scramble. His second came on a designed read-option run during which he kept the ball after a fake to Christian McCaffrey. Eddy Pineiro made his fourth extra point of the game to give the 49ers a touchdown lead once again.

San Francisco's score came just a couple of plays after Purdy threw an interception that was nullified by an illegal use of hands to the face penalty against the Bears.

49ers 28, Bears 21

Caleb Williams hits Colston Loveland for 36-yard TD on free play

Williams managed to get the 49ers to jump offside just before the snap, creating an opportunity for a free play. The second-year quarterback hung back in the pocket and scanned the field while moving to his right before finding Loveland, a rookie tight end, open near the goal-line.

Williams deliver an accurate strike to Loveland, who brought the ball down for a 36-yard touchdown. Cairo Santos made the extra point and the Bears and 49ers are once again tied with 12:20 left in the second quarter.