After multiple days of getting zero leaks about the Chicago Bears' 2026 schedule, they all seem to have come in all within a few hours of each other after fans left work for the day.
Just before the workday ended, the first Bears game for 2026 was leaked, that they would be playing the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day. After that, seven more games leaked within a few hours of each other, so here is who else they will be playing next year, so far:
- Week 1 - Bears at Panthers
- Week 3 - Eagles at Bears (Monday Night Football
- Week 7 - 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
Bears fans now have eight of the games they know about for 2026
One thing to note is that the Bears now have four games in which they are the only game in that time slot. All of those are within the first three months of the season, which means the general public will have more chances to see the Bears in prime time.
Two of the more intriguing matchups come early in the season with a Week 3 game against the Eagles and a Week 7 showdown with the Patriots. Those are two games that are primed to make Super Bowl runs, so Chicago will be tested early in the season.
The last two weeks of the regular season for the Bears will feature NFC North division rivals that might show signs of what the league is thinking. Based on the schedule, the NFL most likely wants the Bears to play the Vikings if they are battling for the division title against either the Green Bay Packers or the Lions, so both games could fall in the same time slot.
Read more: New stat shows Bears' massive problem (but can they fix it in 2026?)
Many knew going into the schedule release that the Bears were going to have a rough time, as they have the NFL's hardest schedule. No matter how the schedule is stacked, there will be challenges all over the place year-round, but it also shows the NFL wants the Bears in prime time as often as possible in 2026.
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