Chicago Bears 2026 Schedule Release Leaks: Confirmed Opponents & Dates

Follow along with our tracker for all of the latest leaked and confirmed games on the Chicago Bears' 2026 schedule. We will update this as leaks are verified.

Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

In just a few short days, Chicago Bears fans will be able to start planning out their own schedule for the 2026 NFL season.

That's because the league is dropping the official schedule for the Bears and the other 31 teams in the NFL on Thursday, May 14. The release will be broadcast on ESPN and NFL Network at 7 p.m. CT, but you can simply check in on the Bears' social media for the fastest and most direct method.

But we might get a decent chunk of the schedule before then, as there will be leaks over the course of the days and hours leading up to when teams start revealing their slates.

We'll be tracking those leaks below, but remember that unless the game has been confirmed by the league, it is only rumored and could be off the mark. We'll be noting that in our tracker.

Bears 2026 schedule leaks tracker

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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RELATED: Predicting Bears primetime games for 2026 season

Bears' 2026 opponents

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

As we wait for the dates and times of all 17 Bears games in 2026, let's take a look at who it is they will be playing, something we've known since the end of last regular season.

Home games: Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints

Away games: Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks

Bears' 2026 strength of schedule

Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift. | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

There are two methods used to calculate strength of schedule: 2026 win totals from Vegas oddsmakers and opponent win percentages from 2025.

For the former method, Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis did the math for us and showed that the Bears have the sixth-toughest schedule in the NFL for 2026.

The latter method shows the Bears have the most difficult schedule in the NFL.

We tend to lean on the 2026 win totals method because it actually reflects what teams have done during the offseason and we know there's a lot of change from year to year in the NFL.

The Bears have a whopping seven playoff teams from the 2025 campaign on their schedule, including the Seahawks, Panthers, Packers, Eagles, Jaguars, Patriots and Bills.

Even some of the teams that didn't make the playoffs last season are going to be tough. We would put the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints on that list.

The two easiest games on Chicago's schedule are the Dolphins and Jets, both of whom have a long rebuild ahead.

The Bears haven't made the playoffs in back-to-back years since all the way back in 2005-2006. The road to breaking that drought won't be easy for Chicago.