3 Chicago Bears Schedule Factors That Will Actually Matter (and 2 That Won't)

Does Chicago's Week 10 Bye Week have any significance?

Sep 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; A general view of Chicago Bears helmets before the start of the game against Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The 2026 NFL schedule was released yesterday, and we now know how the Bears' schedule will be laid out. We always knew that Chicago would have to run the gauntlet with the league's most difficult schedule, and there are definitely a few unforgiving stretches that will put them to the test.

At the same time, they also lucked out in a few aspects of the schedule. They could've been in much worse shape if the schedule had been laid out differently.

There will be countless hot takes about the schedule, and it can occasionally be difficult to decipher what's important and what's not. The purpose of this piece is to shed some light on those discrepancies.

Significant: The Bears will be one of the league's least traveled teams and will have plenty of time for rest.

Feb 2, 2025; Kenner, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs plane arrives at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Bears will travel the third-fewest air miles in the league in 2026. They will only leave the central and eastern time zones ONCE (when they travel to Seattle in Week 8). That's incredibly significant in the jet lag department. Meanwhile, the Lions are in the top half of the league in terms of their mileage traveled. Detroit and Minnesota both have to make the trip overseas.

Perhaps even more significantly, the Bears will have a significant rest advantage over their opponents throughout much of the season. Their most stark advantages in that department will come ahead of two of their toughest matches of the year. They will have three more days of rest going into their Week 8 clash against the Seahawks (they play on Thursday night, and Seattle plays on Sunday night) and three more days of rest going into their Week 17 matchup against Detroit (they play on Friday at noon, and Detroit plays on Monday night).

The schedule may be difficult based on the opponents they'll face, but there are many reasons for optimism with how it's laid out. Fatigue tends to play a major role late in the year, and the Bears will be well-equipped to play through it.

Insignificant: They have a Week 10 bye week.

Feb 2, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; The NFC logo at the NFL Flag Fieldhouse at Moscone Center South Building. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Honestly, this one is more of a "slightly insignificant" variety. I do very much like the timing of the Bears' Week 10 bye, but that has more to do with the fact that they run the gauntlet from Weeks 7 through 9 and 12 through 18 than it does the fact that it's in the middle of the season (or slightly late, depending on how you view it). I will say I didn't like that they had an early Week 5 bye last year, but that's because that's an extremely early rest period.

This might not be a popular opinion, but a bye week landing anywhere from Week 7 through 12 feels pretty interchangeable. There's a lot of football played before and a lot left to go. The break really only becomes significant when it falls in the two weeks before and after that period.

Significant: They will have to run the gauntlet after their bye week.

Apr 23, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; New Era NFL Draft hats of the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Baltimore Rvaens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars at the NFL Draft Experience at the NFL Draft Experience at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

I already mentioned that Weeks 7 through 9 will be tough. They have three straight primetime matchups against the Patriots, Seahawks, and Buccaneers. Still, I think their toughest stretch of games will probably come after their time off.

The Bears were lucky to land the Saints (who might be solid this year, but the game will still be played in Chicago in November, and they're a dome team from New Orleans) following their bye week, as they've recently required a week to shake off the rust. However, that's largely where their luck runs out for the rest of the year (well, besides the fact that they host Jacksonville in December and have one more cupcake matchup against the Dolphins).

They'll travel to Detroit on Thanksgiving, come back home to take on the Jaguars, then go to Miami for another bye week, and then Buffalo the week after that, and then close out the season with three straight matchups against their NFC North foes. Even with the potential brisk temperatures in their favor against warm-weather teams, that is a TOUGH stretch.

Insignificant: The Bears play three-straight primetime matchups from Weeks 7 through 9.

Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; ESPN Monday Night Football logo on an end zone camera before the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Houston Texans in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

This one is significant from an entertainment and "the Bears made it" perspective. They're finally being recognized as one of the top teams in the league and are getting marquee billing. However, that's where the significance ends.

While the pre-Ben Johnson-led Bears might've crumbled with all the eyes across the league on them, they went 3-2 in their regular-season primetime matchups last year (and obviously 1-1 in the playoffs). They were clearly ready for the spotlight, and they should be even more prepared in year two under Johnson.

Significant: They end the season with three-straight divisional matchups.

Feb 4, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; A locker room exhibit with the helmets and jerseys of Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson (18), Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10), Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) at the Super Bowl LX Experience at the Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The NFC North could very well be decided in the final three weeks of the 2026 NFL season. The Bears host the Packers and Lions in Weeks 16 and 17 before traveling to Minnesota for the regular season finale. The division was always destined to be a tight race, and those three games could be monumental when it comes to playoff positioning.

Unlike last season, when the Bears and Packers played each other twice in 13 days, there are no close matchups between Chicago and their divisional foes. Their first matchups against the Vikings and Packers will be near the beginning of the year, and they will have just over a month between their clashes with Detroit.