The Chicago Bears 2026 schedule is out. There are plenty of notable facts about it. As of now, it is considered the toughest in the NFL, featuring nine games against playoff teams from last season. That includes both Super Bowl participants. There is always a price to pay for winning. Even so, there are some benefits to consider. The Bears have one of the lowest travel schedules this season, barely clearing 10,000 total miles. Also, they have a bye in week ten, directly in the middle of the season.
So it’s not like the deck is completely stacked against them. Remember, the Bears ended up having the second-hardest schedule in the NFL last season and still went 11-6. This team isn’t afraid of a challenge. So let’s go through it all, game by game, and predict how it all plays out. Will the Bears duplicate their success from last year, or will they regress as many expect?
How I see the Chicago Bears 2026 schedule playing out.
Week 1 (Sept 13): at Carolina Panthers – Win
Two of the best offensive play-callers in the NFL going head-to-head should be fun. That said, Carolina was not good against the run last season. They allowed at least 100 yards on the ground in all but five of their games. You can bet Ben Johnson will look to exploit that.
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Week 2 (Sept 20): vs. Minnesota Vikings – Win
Adding Kyler Murray makes the Vikings a much tougher matchup offensively compared to last season. However, they also lost a gigantic chunk of their defensive front to cap issues. They’ll be leaning on rookie Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange to fill those gaps, which isn’t likely to help this early in the year.
Week 3 (Sept 28): vs. Philadelphia Eagles – Win
We already know the Bears can beat the Eagles, as we saw last season. That was in Philadelphia. This time it will be in Chicago, where the Bears were 6-2 last season. The Eagles are about to lose star wide receiver A.J. Brown and are relying on an untried offensive coordinator in Sean Mannion.
Week 4 (Oct 4): vs. New York Jets – Win
The Jets are in the middle of a rebuild. While they had a good offseason, they’re miles away from being a playoff contender. Questions linger at quarterback as they lean on Geno Smith, who had a dismal year in Las Vegas last season. Unless the Bears sleepwalk, this is as close to a gimme as it gets.
Week 5 (Oct 11): at Green Bay Packers – Loss
Winning in Green Bay is always tough. Everybody knows the Packers will be all revved up for this one after their humiliating playoff collapse in January. Micah Parsons should be back by then. Combine his pass rush and a raucous crowd, and it will be difficult to pull that one out.
Week 6 (Oct 18): at Atlanta Falcons – Win
Like the Jets, this team is also searching for an identity. They also have lingering quarterback problems. Michael Penix has been a disappointment. Their only other option is Tua Tagovailoa. They also weren’t good at stopping the run. Add that together, and you get a Chicago Bears win.
Week 7 (Oct 22): vs. New England Patriots – Win
The Patriots are facing two major issues. One is the obvious threat of a Super Bowl hangover. Teams that lose the big almost always have worse records than the previous year. The other is Mike Vrabel’s very public affair with Dianna Russini. New England is still tough, but such distractions make them easier to topple.
Week 8 (Nov 2): at Seattle Seahawks – Loss
The defending champions are hard to beat in any situation. Taking them down in that home stadium of theirs is close to impossible. They were 8-2 in that building last season. That defense is still one of the league’s best, and Sam Darnold typically plays well against the Bears.
Week 9 (Nov 8): vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Win
Things didn’t go well for the Bucs last season. Their offense took a big step back, and their defense was awful against the pass. It is hoped that a shakeup to both coordinator spots helps, but this feels like a team trending in the wrong direction. They better hope Rueben Bain helps that pass rush, or Caleb Williams will feast.
Week 11 (Nov 22): vs. New Orleans Saints – Win
The Bears won against the Saints handily last season. Don’t expect a similar cakewalk this time. New Orleans has a promising quarterback in Tyler Shough and has significantly invested in its offense with free-agent Travis Etienne and 1st-round receiver Jordyn Tyson. Chicago wins in a nail-biter.
Week 12 (Nov 26): at Detroit Lions – Win
Everybody remembers the 52-21 drubbing the last time Chicago went into Ford Field. The outcome won’t be nearly as bad this time, but the fact is, the Bears have lost four straight in that building. However, the Lions are 1-4 under Dan Campbell on Thanksgiving. This will be a tight, but satisfying win.
Week 13 (Dec 6): vs. Jacksonville Jaguars – Loss
Unfortunately, the extra time off won’t help the Chicago Bears avoid a brutal follow-up game against a really good Jaguars team. They had a top 10 offense and top 10 defense last season. That includes ranking #1 against the run. This just feels like a bad matchup.
Week 14 (Dec 13): at Miami Dolphins – Win
Malik Willis gave the Bears some problems when he was with Green Bay, but he isn’t bringing the surrounding talent or offensive structure with him to Miami. That team basically gutted its roster to begin a rebuild. Coach Johnson loves beating up on Jeff Hafley and any current or former Packers.
Week 15 (Dec 19): at Buffalo Bills – Loss
Playing against Josh Allen is difficult enough. Playing against him in Buffalo during the winter is really tough. The Bears can beat the Bills. They match up pretty well. This will just be a case of the home team being more comfortable in the environment and having an alien at quarterback.
Week 16 (Dec 25): vs. Green Bay Packers – Win
As with last year, the two eternal rivals hold serve at home. Even with Parsons back, the Bears still manage to handle their business in a crucial game during the final stretch. They handled odd-scheduled games quite well last season and should be plenty motivated on Christmas Day.
Week 17 (Jan 3): vs. Detroit Lions – Win
The Bears get a nice bit of revenge on Detroit, avenging their season sweep from last year with one of their own. Good health will play a big part in why. Their secondary will be close to full strength, allowing them to better contain Amon-Ra St. Brown, who went wild in both 2025 games.
Week 18 (Jan 10): at Minnesota Vikings – Loss
Containing Murray indoors on that turf will be a nightmare. That is before you recall that the Bears are 1-4 in their last five regular season finales. A 4th quarter comeback was needed to beat J.J. McCarthy last year. This time, they won’t be able to keep up.
