Chicago Bears fans, we have our 2026 schedule and....yeah, it's not easy.
The NFL announced its 2026 schedule after days of leaks, with a lot of attention on the Bears, who have the toughest one in the league by winning percentage. Here is the full look at the team's 2026 schedule:
- Week 1: at Carolina Panthers
- Week 2: vs. Minnesota Vikings
- Week 3: vs. Philadelphia Eagles (MNF)
- Week 4: vs. New York Jets
- Week 5: at Green Bay Packers
- Week 6: at Atlanta Falcons
- Week 7: vs. New England Patriots (TNF)
- Week 8: at Seattle Seahawks (MNF)
- Week 9: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (SNF)
- Week 10: BYE
- Week 11: vs. New Orleans Saints
- Week 12: at Detroit Lions (Thanksgiving)
- Week 13: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
- Week 14: at Miami Dolphins
- Week 15: at Buffalo Bills (Saturday)
- Week 16: vs. Green Bay Packers (Christmas)
- Week 17: vs. Detroit Lions
- Week 18: at Minnesota Vikings
The Bears' 2026 schedule is official and as difficult as expected
If there is evidence to talk about how tough the schedule is, Bears fans can take a look at the first five games of the year and the last four games. Just in the last four games alone, Chicago has to play the Bills on the road, the Packers and Lions in back-to-back weeks, and end the year against the Vikings; all four teams had winning records in 2025.
Even at the beginning of the year, the Bears still have to play strong teams like the Panthers, Vikings, Eagles, and Packers. Those are not easy teams to beat, as all four got better in the offseason.
One interesting note is that the NFL is showing its true feelings on the Bears, as they have seven standalone games in 2026. That shows the NFL believes Chicago will be a competitive team.
Read more: Latest rankings demonstrate Bears' future is brighter than 30 other NFL teams
This is not going to be an easy schedule for the Bears in 2026, and they have a lot of work to do to fight through it. Chicago is poised to prove that, despite a tough schedule, the Bears are for real.