Chicago Bears 2026 Schedule Is Out and It Sets Up Holiday Drama and Brutal Tests

Oct 11, 2024; London, United Kingdom; The jerseys of Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2),Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16), Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson (18) and Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) at Nike Town London. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Chicago Bears 2026 Schedule Is Out and It Sets Up Holiday Drama and Brutal Tests

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Jerry Markarian | Last updated May 14, 2026 11:28 PM ET

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Full Schedule

Week	Opponent	Home/Away	Time (CST) /Broadcast
1	Panthers	Away	Noon, FOX
2	Vikings	Home	Noon, FOX
3	Eagles	Home	MNF (7:15), ESPN
4	Jets	Home	Noon, FOX
5	Packers	Away	3:25, FOX
6	Falcons	Away	Noon, FOX
7	Patriots	Home	TNF (7:15), Prime
8	Seahawks	Away	MNF (7:15), ESPN
9	Buccaneers	Home	SNF (7:20), NBC
10	BYE
11	Saints	Home	Noon, FOX
12	Lions	Away	Thanksgiving (Noon), CBS
13	Jaguars	Home	Noon, FOX
14	Dolphins	Away	Noon, CBS
15	Bills	Away	Saturday (7:20), CBS
16	Packers	Home	Christmas (Noon), Netflix
17	Lions	Home	3:25, FOX
18	Vikings	Away	TBD

The tough schedule is nothing new for Chicago

The schedule looks difficult on paper (though Rome Odunze's Bob Ross impression yielded excellent results in the team's schedule release video), but it's important to note that last year's schedule looked treacherous this time last year, too. They were tied for the second-most difficult schedule (with the Lions, only behind the Giants) entering the 2025 season.

Then the entire AFC North and NFC East severely underperformed expectations. They were considered pretenders who benefited from a cakewalk schedule by the beginning of November.

There are reasons for optimism with the Bears' schedule, including the fact that they're kicking off the season with a road matchup in Carolina. That's a much better scenario than a Wednesday night clash in Seattle (which was a popular projected outcome for Week One).

They won't be well-traveled

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Bears were also expected to make the trip to Madrid for their road matchup against the Falcons (it honestly doesn't make much sense that they're not, given that the Bengals don't have marketing rights in Spain, but that's a story for another day). The schedule makers clearly had other plans, though.

While it would've been nice to play one of their eight road games in a neutral territory, they definitely saved some air miles with the international game snub. That partially contributed to them traveling the third-fewest air miles among all teams next season.

Their trip to Seattle will mark the only time that they'll travel outside the central and eastern time zones on the entire season. It feels safe to assume jet lag won't take a toll in 2026.

They will cause holiday arguments, though

David Reginek-Imagn Images

The 2026 NFL season will mark the third time that the Bears have played on Christmas, with the first two occasions also featuring matchups against the Packers in 2005 and 2011. They've played 38 times on Thanksgiving, with their most recent matchup coming two years ago against Detroit.

With that said, this will be the first time in franchise history that they'll be playing on both holidays in one season. Those matchups could prove pivotal in one of the league's most competitive divisions.

Ben Johnson getting his first win over his former team on Thanksgiving would certainly be a reason to be thankful. Alternatively, a loss in that spot could conjure up some arguments at the family dinner table or the ride home from the in-laws' place. Likewise, a loss against Green Bay on Christmas Day could be a reason for a heavier pour of the eggnog than what would otherwise be acceptable. There is no possible middle ground in either matchup.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: