The Chicago Bears released their 17-game schedule for the 2026 season on Thursday night, and there were plenty of surprises (considering we’ve known their opponents for months now).
Ben Johnson’s squad will play two games against each of their NFC North rivals, as well as facing the NFC South and AFC East next season, which includes home games against the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as well as away games against the Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers. With the Bears finishing first in the NFC North, they’ll also face the same-place finisher from the NFC East, NFC West and AFC South.
We’ve compiled everything fans should know about the Bears’ 2026 schedule, from the bye week, prime-time games, the season opener, tough stretches and more.
Who is the Bears’ Week 1 opponent?
The Bears will open the season on the road when they battle the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Sept. 13. It’ll feature a matchup between two former No. 1 picks in Caleb Williams and Bryce Young, as well as two teams who won their respective divisions last season. Chicago last faced Carolina on Oct. 6, 2024, where the Bears emerged victorious, 36-10.
When is Chicago’s bye week?
The Bears will have their bye week in Week 10, which is a lot later than last year when they had a Week 5 bye. Chicago’s bye week comes after three consecutive prime-time showings, so it’ll be a well-deserved break for Ben Johnson’s squad. Looking ahead, the bye week comes before a home game against the New Orleans Saints (Week 11) and a Thanksgiving road meeting against the Detroit Lions (Week 12).
When are the Bears’ prime-time and standalone games?
Chicago is pegged for seven standalone games, including five prime-time games in 2026. The Bears will play on Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football (twice), as well as both Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Their first prime-time game comes at home in Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. Then, Chicago will face a gauntlet of three consecutive prime-time games against the New England Patriots (Week 7), Seattle Seahawks (Week 8) and Tampa By a Buccaneers (Week 9) before the bye week.
The Bears will also face the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, the Buffalo Bills on a Saturday night standalone game in Week 15 and battle the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on Christmas.
Any long road trips?
The Bears avoided an international game this year, which certainly benefits them as far as travel is concerned. And when looking at the schedule, Chicago only plays consecutive road games twice this season — in Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers and Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons, as well as Week 14 against the Miami Dolphins and Week 15 against the Buffalo Bills.
The Bears won’t have to travel far this season, with their longest road trip being a Week 8 prime-time game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.
When are the NFC North matchups?
The Bears will face both the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers once within the first five weeks of the season, but they won’t see the Detroit Lions until Thanksgiving. Chicago will play its final three regular-season games against their division rivals, where the NFC North could be up for grabs. Here’s when those division matchups occur:
Any particularly tough stretches?
The Bears technically have the most difficult strength of schedule this season, based on last year’s win-loss records. But their schedule also has some tough spots for them. That starts with three consecutive prime-time games against the New England Patriots (Week 7), Seattle Seahawks (Week 8) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 9) before a well-deserved bye week.
Chicago also will play against division rivals on both Thanksgiving and Christmas, where luckily they get to host the Packers in late December. The Bear also face a tough stretch at the end of the season, including games against the Buffalo Bills (Week 15) and three straight NFC North games to close out the year (Weeks 16-18).
Who is the Week 18 opponent?
The Bears will once again close the regular season against an NFC North rival, and for the first time in four years, Chicago will face the Minnesota Vikings. It’s the first time since 2022 that the Bears and Vikings will close the season against each other. And this game could very well have playoff implications.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Everything to know about the Chicago Bears’ 2026 schedule
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
