Chicago Bears fans have been waiting since January to see when they will place their 2026 opponents and where they will play.
The NFL will release its schedule on May 14 at 7:00 pm CST, with the full 18 weeks shared, including what the Bears will be doing. There has been a lot of speculation about when the Bears will play and whether they will be playing in different locations.
If Bears fans are wondering what they should be thinking at the moment, here is everything they need to know about the 2026 schedule.
Chicago Bears 2026 Opponents
2026 Home Games
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Minnesota Vikings
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- New York Jets
- New England Patriots
- New Orleans Saints
2026 Away Games
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Minnesota Vikings
- Buffalo Bills
- Miami Dolphins
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
- Seattle Seahawks
Chicago Bears 2026 Schedule Rumors
Bears to play defending Super Bowl champions in Week 1?
The number one rumor over the last few months is that the Bears could be on the road in Week 1 to open the season against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Many, including ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, have hinted and believe that is going to be the case.
Will the Bears play international in 2026?
Another rumor circulating is that the Bears could be one of the few candidates to play the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid in 2026. The Bears have played in the international series three times and are 2-1 in those games. It has since been reported that the Falcons will play the Cincinnati Bengals, meaning the Bears will not play internationally in 2026.
Chicago Bears 2026 Schedule Leaks
The first leak finally came out as NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that the Bears will have a Thanksgiving Day showdown against the Detroit Lions in Ford Field. It'll be the second time in three years the Bears play the Lions on the holiday, as the last one led to the firing of former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus. Bears head coach Ben Johnson was 0-2 against his old team last year.
Multiple leaks came out one night before the NFL schedule was to be released. Here is a look at everything that was leaked:
- Week 1 -Â Bears at Panthers
- Week 3 - Eagles at Bears (Monday Night Football
- Week 7 -Â Patriots at Bears (Thursday Night Football)
- Week 9 - Buccaneers at Bears (Sunday Night Football)
- Week 11 - Saints at Bears (12:00 pm CST kickoff)
- Week 17 - Lions at Bears (3:25 pm CST kickoff)
- Week 18 - Bears at Vikings
After the latest batch, two more games were leaked. The Bears will host two AFC teams at Soldier Field this season: the New York Jets in Week 4 and the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13.
Read more: Bears fans might want to turn away at the sight of this offseason report card
Chicago Bears 2026 Schedule
Week 1: at Carolina Panthers (Sunday, September 13)
Week 2: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week 3: vs. Philadelphia Eagles (Monday, September 28 at 7:15 pm CST on ESPN)
Week 4: vs. New York Jets (Sunday, October 4 at 12:00 pm CST)
Week 5:
Week 6:
Week 7: vs. New England Patriots (Thursday, October 22 at 7:15 pm CST on Prime)
Week 8:
Week 9: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sunday, November 8 at 7:20 pm CST on NBC)
Week 10:
Week 11: vs. New Orleans Saints (Sunday, November 22 at 12:00 pm CST)
Week 12: at Detroit Lions (Thursday, November 26 at 12:00 pm CST)
Week 13: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (Sunday, December 6 at 12:00 pm CST)
Week 14:
Week 15: at Buffalo Bills
Week 16: vs. Green Bay Packers
Week 17: vs. Detroit Lions (Sunday, January 3 at 3:25 pm CST)
Week 18: at Minnesota Vikings (Sunday, January 10)
Add us as a preferred source on Google