Everything We Know About the Chicago Bears' 2026 Schedule Ahead of Schedule Release

The annual NFL Schedule Release has become somewhat of a holiday for football-hungry fans anticipating the upcoming season. This year, the schedule will be announced on Thursday, May 14, at 7 PM CST.

The Bears have the league's sixth-most-difficult schedule based on projected win totals. That's not much of a surprise, since they are playing a first-place schedule in one of the league's toughest divisions. However, there are significant reasons for optimism with the schedule, including the fact that they host nine home games this season (as does the rest of the conference).

While we don't yet know the full extent of Chicago's schedule, we do know a few notable aspects of it ahead of the official release.

Home Opponents

Mike Singletary fires up Soldier Field crowd — Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary acknowledges the crowd during the fourth quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game against the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Packers, Lions, Vikings, Buccaneers, Saints, Eagles, Jets, Jaguars, Patriots

The Bears are fortunate to draw the NFC South this year. They are the only division in the league that didn't feature a team that finished with a winning record last season. While judging a division based on last year's performance can be a dangerous game, all four teams are significantly more flawed than some of the other divisions in the conference.

With the Bears finishing with a first-place schedule, they will also host the Eagles and Jaguars. Those are undoubtedly two tough matchups, but they at least get to face them in the friendly confines of Soldier Field.

The NFC North also faces off against the AFC East in 2026. They have home matchups against the Patriots and Jets. An obvious mixed bag there, but there is at least some reason for optimism that they might be catching New England at a good time with everything going on with Mike Vrabel (which I won't touch on here because I like my job security).

Road Opponents

Vikings mascot with a fake football — Sep 10, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings mascot Viktor salutes the crowd in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Packers, Lions, Vikings, Bills, Dolphins, Falcons, Panthers, Seahawks

The Bears will hit the road for Miami and Buffalo to take on the rest of the AFC East. Another mixed bag (that doesn't feature a Bill Clinton-esque scandal).

They will also go on the road to take on the rest of the NFC South. Not much of a mixed bag there. Call me naive if you must, but matchups in Atlanta (or Spain?) and Carolina don't move me.

Their most difficult matchup of the season will definitely be their matchup against the defending Super Bowl champs. We were robbed of the Bears/Seahawks NFC Championship game clash last season, but it's a given in 2026 with each team finishing at the top of their division.

Things we think we know

NFL game advertising in Madrid, Spain — Nov 16, 2025; Madrid, Spain; An advertisement for the 2025 NFL Madrid Game between the Washington Commanders and the Miami Dolphins on the Cines Callao facade. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Bears could open the season (on Wednesday night) in Seattle

Speaking of that pending matchup at Lumen Field, there is growing belief that the Bears could be getting the tough one out of the way (very) early. This year's opener will be on WEDNESDAY (for the first time in league history), September 9. The Bears are the odds-on favorite team to draw that matchup.

The 49ers and Rams (who also would've made a lot of sense for that matchup) play each other the following day. They also have home games against the Cowboys, Giants, Chiefs, Chargers, Bears, and Patriots. The Chargers don't have nearly enough of a fanbase to draw that timeslot. The Giants probably aren't good enough to land it. They usually don't have a Super Bowl rematch open the next season. The Chiefs would make sense if they knew that Patrick Mahomes would be healthy, but they probably don't want Justin Fields seeing valuable snaps in that spot.

The Cowboys also make some sense due to their market size, but the Bears appear to be the most logical option after the exciting season they just had.

They also might travel to Spain to take on the Falcons

There is also a growing belief that the Bears could travel to Spain to take on the Falcons. They're one of only three teams on their home schedule with marketing rights in Madrid. The Dolphins are another one, and they played in Spain (against the Commanders in an absolute clunker) last season. The Chiefs are the third team. They would be another logical team (unless they prefer to schedule the matchup early in the season).

That would be another fortunate situation, as they already have nine home games. A road game in a neutral territory (against a fanbase that isn't known to travel well, unlike the Bears' faithful) would be huge.

They appear to be primed for primetime

This one should come as no surprise. The Bears are already a big market team, and they're coming off one of the most exciting seasons in NFL history. Both of the suspected matchups above would be standalone games, and there is also reason to believe that they could be playing in a few more primetime clashes.

If you don't want to take our word for it (honestly, fair.. I'm a homer), then how about Mike Florio's? He echoed a similar sentiment when speaking to 104.3 The Score last week. Expect to see the Bears a lot on primetime in 2026.

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