The Chicago Bears have officially released their 2025 schedule, which features some hotly-anticipated match-ups during Ben Johnson’s first season as head coach.
In addition to facing their NFC North foes twice, the Bears will play the NFC East and AFC North next season, which includes home games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys, as well as away games against the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles.
With the Bears finishing fourth in the NFC North, they’ll also face the same-place finisher in the NFC South (New Orleans Saints) and NFC West (San Francisco 49ers). With that additional 17th game, they’ll face the AFC West same-place finisher (Las Vegas Raiders) on the road.
While fans want to see which opponents the Bears will face each week, they also want to know when they will be in the national spotlight. Unsurprisingly, Chicago is a team the NFL isn’t shying away from when it comes to prime-time games. Here is the complete list of all of the prime time and standalone games for the Bears.
Week 1: Bears vs. Vikings
For the first time this century, the Bears open up their season on Monday Night Football and it’s against an opponent they normally don’t see in Week 1. The Bears have not faced the Vikings to start the season since 2000, and it will be a good test for Johnson’s team, as well as quarterback Caleb Williams.
Week 6: Bears at Commanders
It should come as no surprise that the highly-anticipated rematch between the Bears and the Washington Commanders will take place in prime time. Arguably the most memorable game from the 2024 regular season that featured a last-second Hail Mary touchdown which gave Washington the win set the course for both teams for the rest of the year. The Bears have revenge on their mind and will have extra time to prepare as they come off a bye.
Week 13: Bears at Eagles
The Bears will be doing their holiday shopping in the City of Brotherly Love. Chicago is set to take on the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on Black Friday, marking the third year in a row the NFL has played a game the day after Thanksgiving. Hopefully the Bears won’t be too stuffed with turkey because they have a six-game losing streak against the Eagles that they’re hoping to snap.
Week 16: Bears vs. Packers
The Bears play a rare Saturday game and it’s taking place against their bitter rivals. In a FOX doubleheader, the Bears welcome the Green Bay Packers to Soldier Field, which could wind up being a pivotal game in the NFC playoff race. Chicago narrowly escaped with a win the last time these two teams met on the lakefront, but Cairo Santos’ field goal attempt was blocked as time expired. He already exacted his revenge at Lambeau to end the 2024 season, though Bears fans want to see Green Bay go down in Chicago.
Week 17: Bears at 49ers
Barring a surprise flex, the Bears won’t make their Sunday Night Football debut until the second-to-last week of the season. The Bears will take on the San Francisco 49ers out on the West Coast for the second year in a row and will want to make sure this meeting goes better than their last. In 2024 in the first game following the firing of Matt Eberflus, the Bears were pummeled 38-13.
The good news? The last time the Bears and 49ers met on Sunday Night Football, it led to one of the best Bears comebacks in recent memory when Jay Cutler threw three fourth-quarter touchdowns back in 2014 to win 28-20.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears schedule 2025: Complete list of prime-time and standalone games
Reporting by Brendan Sugrue, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
