Former Chicago Bear gets his game on this season of 'Survivor'

Former Chicago Bear Brad Culpepper, 44, is competing in a different game: He’s one of 20 contestants going for the $1 million prize when “Survivor” returns for its 27th season Sept. 18 on CBS.

The theme this time around is “Blood vs. Water.” Former contestants compete with — and against — their loved ones. Will the returnees use their past experience in the game to help their partners or will they throw them under the bus to save themselves?

Culpepper, an attorney who retired from pro football after a year-long stint with the Bears in 2000, is a rookie when it comes to “Survivor.” His wife, Monica, 42, is a returning contestant. The Tampa, Fla., woman was the fifth to be voted out on “Survivor: One World” when it aired early last year.

This edition of “Survivor” will feature the return of Redemption Island, where castaways who’ve been eliminated from the game can seek redemption and return for a chance to win the money. The twist this season is that loved ones will be forced to choose whether to “save” their partner on Redemption Island and switch places with them, thus allowing their loved one to immediately re-enter the game, or leave them in exile to survive on their own.

Meet this season’s players:

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