It has been almost a month since the NFL released its 2025 schedule. Despite finishing 5-12 in 2024, the Chicago Bears were rewarded with one of the toughest schedules this upcoming season. One of the reasons is that they play in a difficult NFC North, which sent three teams to the playoffs. And chances are that it will happen again in 2025, whether the Bears are in it or not.
Here are early looks at non-NFC North teams the Bears will face, and ranking these games in order from least exciting to must-watch based on these teams' record and their off-season moves.
11. Week 15-Cleveland Browns
The early prognostication of the Browns is not very promising. Like the Bears, they compete in a difficult division in the AFC North and are likely to finish last once again. To make matters worse, they are also trying to determine who their starting quarterback is going to be this upcoming season.
The Browns' head coach, Kevin Stefanski, faces a daunting task of choosing between Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders as a starter, with your job on the line after winning just 3 games last season. Will Stefanski still be coaching the Browns in this game, knowing he will be fired at the end of the season? Or will an interim coach take over mid-season? And what are the odds of Shedeur Sanders being the starting quarterback by then?
Last time these two teams met, the Browns sacked Justin Fields nine times in his pro debut in Cleveland. Remember that? Let's hope this time, the Bears are still in the hunt for a playoff spot and return the favor when they welcome the Browns in late December, which may not be fun to watch in person, given the cold weather.