Monday Night Football at Soldier Field already had a storyline before kickoff. The Chicago Bears turned to Case Keenum at quarterback against the Philadelphia Eagles. Caleb Williams remains out after a Week 2 hamstring injury left the Bears searching for answers at the position.

Backup Tyson Bagent was also in the mix after entering concussion protocol following that same game. Bagent cleared protocol and returned to practice earlier in the week. Chicago still leaned on the 38-year-old Keenum for the primetime spot.

None of that ended up being the pregame story fans were talking about most. The Bears turned Monday night into their “Vamos Bears” Latino Heritage Month celebration. The national anthem performance looked nothing like a typical NFL pregame.

Mariachi Herencia de México, a Chicago-born, two-time Latin Grammy-nominated group, performed the national anthem before kickoff. ABC7 Chicago reported it marked the first time a mariachi band handled that duty at Soldier Field.

The group draws on musical traditions from Guadalajara and Mexico City. They’ve built a reputation for blending that classic mariachi format with a more contemporary repertoire.

The Celebration Went Well Beyond The Anthem Alone

The tribute stretched past the pregame moment. Two local students, Alison Segarra of Amundsen High School and Alejandro Gonzalez of Dundee-Crown High School, served as honorary captains for the coin toss. Both were also recognized as Youth Leaders for Latino Heritage Month 2026.

Local artist Fedz, a Berwyn resident who moved from Zacatecas, Mexico, at age six, designed the official game day poster. A Bears design coordinator said the choice reflected his range and his pride in both his heritage and his city. A halftime performance built around the history of Latin music in Chicago followed the anthem.

Fans at the gates also received wearable “Vamos Bears” flags while supplies lasted. It’s the kind of full-stadium theme night the Bears have leaned into more often in recent years.

Fans jumped on X to share their opinions after watching the performance.

The comments showed just how far apart people’s views were on it. Some fans thought it was one of the better renditions they’d heard in years.

“It sounded phenomenal! Mariachi trumpet players do not miss. If a beautiful rendition of the national anthem gets your blood boiling, that’s strictly a YOU problem. 🎺” one fan wrote.

“NFL trolling MAGAs with a mariachi band doing the anthem in Chicago for MNF….btw that was awesome!” another person offered.

Other fans weren’t fans of the choice at all.

“The Chicago bears national anthem by a mexican mariachi is the most unamerican anthem ive ever seen,” one user claimed.

“Dumbest choice for national anthem in history, MNF, get the Blackhawks singer Chicago Bears,” another wrote, referencing Jim Cornelison, the singer Bears fans are used to hearing.

“Nobody:

Chicago Bears: ‘Let’s have Mexicans do the National Anthem on MNF,’” a fifth person declared.

The Bears haven’t addressed the online split, and there’s no indication they’re expected to. Latino Heritage nights have become common across pro sports leagues in recent years. This one was built around a genuine milestone performance rather than a routine pregame ceremony.

Whether the reaction cools off or keeps circulating likely depends on how the rest of Monday night’s broadcast plays out.