For the eighth time in the last 10 years, the Detroit Lions will play an NFC North opponent on Thanksgiving.
The Lions will take on the Bears at Ford Field on Nov. 26 at 1 p.m. ET (Week 12), CBS announced Thursday morning. The Lions have met with the Bears on Thanksgiving five times since 2014, including a 2024 matchup that featured some dubious clock management from Chicago.
Other confirmed games on Detroit’s 2026 schedule include a contest at the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 17 (Week 2, Thursday Night Football) and one versus the New England Patriots at Germany’s FC Bayern Munich Stadium on Nov. 15 (Week 10). The Lions haven’t played internationally in more than a decade.
The Bears, winners of the NFC North in 2025, but swept by Detroit, are coached by former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who was hired by Chicago in January 2025. Johnson immediately helped the Bears return to relevancy. Quarterback Caleb Williams went 11-6 as a starter in his second season and completed 58.1% of his throws for 3,942 yards (most in franchise history) and 27 touchdowns with seven interceptions.
A reworked secondary highlights Chicago’s moves this offseason. The Bears saw defensive backs Kevin Byard (now with the Patriots), Jaquan Brisker (Pittsburgh Steelers) and C.J. Gardner-Johnson (Buffalo Bills) leave in free agency, but signed Coby Bryant (previously of the Seattle Seahawks) and drafted former Oregon standout Dillon Thieneman at No. 25 overall. Wide receiver D.J. Moore was also traded to the Bills.
The Bears had to replace their starting center after Drew Dalman’s sudden retirement. They landed Garrett Bradbury in a trade with the Patriots and selected Logan Jones (Iowa) in the second round of the draft.
rsilva@detroitnews.com
@rich_silva18
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Lions will play this NFC North rival on Thanksgiving
Reporting by Richard Silva, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
