The Chicago Bears went 11-6 last season and won the division for the first time in seven years. They earned every bit of it, engineering seven 4th quarter comebacks and overcoming a mountain of injuries. However, many critics of the achievement insisted that much of it came courtesy of playing a softer schedule. This was thanks to them finishing last in the NFC North the year before. Facing a 4th-place schedule often results in facing some bad opponents, improving the chances of turning things around.
That won’t be the case in 2026. Since the Bears finished first in the division, they will be getting the first-place schedule. That, combined with projected tilts against some really good divisions elsewhere, has landed Chicago with the league’s toughest strength of schedule at .550, according to ESPN.
No matter what bravado fans may show over this announcement, the reality is this isn’t great news for the Bears. Since 2015, only three of the 11 teams with the highest strength of schedule entering a season have made the playoffs. It helps illustrate how difficult the task ahead is for this team.
| Season | Team with Toughest SOS | Projected SOS (Win %) | Final Record | Season Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | New York Giants | .574 | 4-13 | Missed playoffs |
| 2024 | Cleveland Browns | .547 | 3-14 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2023 | Philadelphia Eagles | .566 | 11–6 | Lost in Wild Card Round |
| 2022 | Los Angeles Rams | .567 | 5–12 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2021 | Pittsburgh Steelers | .574 | 9–7–1 | Lost in Wild Card Round |
| 2020 | New England Patriots | .537 | 7–9 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2019 | Oakland Raiders | .539 | 7–9 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2018 | Green Bay Packers | .539 | 6–9–1 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2017 | Denver Broncos | .578 | 5–11 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2016 | San Francisco 49ers | .555 | 2–14 | Missed Playoffs |
| 2015 | Pittsburgh Steelers | .579 | 10–6 | Lost in Divisional Round |
The Chicago Bears face a steep uphill battle.
Among their list of opponents will be eight teams that made the playoffs last season. Among them are both Super Bowl participants, the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. You’ll also have the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, and, of course, the two matchups with the Green Bay Packers. That doesn’t include two games against the Detroit Lions, who swept the Bears last season, or the Minnesota Vikings, who just landed Kyler Murray at quarterback.
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The good news is the Bears weren’t handed a free ride last season. Six of their games were against teams that eventually made the playoffs. They went 3-3 in those contests. So think of it like this. They have nine games against playoff opponents from last season. If they go 5-4 against that slate, all they’d have to do is go 6-2 against the non-playoff teams to duplicate their record from last season. They could split the season series against the Lions and Vikings, and then hopefully take care of business against Atlanta, New Orleans, Miami and New York.
Truth be told, nobody knows what to expect.
Every season in the NFL is different because every roster is different. Nothing ever stays the same, especially in this era when free agency and trades are more prevalent than ever. That is why Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson said this team was starting from scratch. What happened last year means nothing. Everything resets. He is correct. That is why it might not be wise to just assume every team the Bears face this upcoming season will perform at the same level they did a year ago. Some good teams will regress, and some bad teams might take big steps forward.
There is no way to predict it. All the Bears can do is control what they can control. That means working hard, preparing well, and giving it everything they have on gameday. This team is talented enough to beat any opponent they line up against. We saw it last season. The issue has always been discipline and execution. Only the best teams do that consistently. If the Bears can cross that threshold, it won’t matter how tough their schedule is.
