Bear Digest

Chicago Bears Will Face the Defending Super Bowl Champion Again in 2026

The Bears are set to face the defending Super Bowl champion again in 2026, continuing a recent trend that has tracked Chicago’s rise across the NFL.
Bryan Perez|
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Super Bowl Sunday has a way of looping back to the Chicago Bears, even though they haven't won one since 1985.

For these Bears, Super Sunday is all about the 2026 season schedule.

The Chicago Bears will face both the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots during the 2026 season. That matters because it ensures Chicago will once again line up against the defending Super Bowl champion, marking the fourth time in six years the Bears have drawn that challenge.

Recen history shows how revealing those games have been.

This season, the Bears defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in what became a statement victory that announced Chicago's arrival as a legitimate contender.

In 2023 and 2021, the Bears lost to the Chiefs and Buccaneers in games that were stark reminders of how far away Chicago was from relevance.

MORE: ESPN 2-Round 2026 NFL Mock Draft Sends Chicago Bears Defensive Help Early

What makes the 2026 matchup intriguing isn't just that it's against another opponent with a Super Bowl ring, but also where the Bears are right now. Chicago won't enter next season's game as a rebuilding team hoping to just hang around. Instead, it could end up being a matchup between two of the NFL's top contenders.

Facing the reigning Super Bowl champion has become a strange kind of barometer for the Bears' progress. The last few years have exposed deep flaws. In 2025, it proved that this team is on a legitimate track toward a championship.

So while Chicago Bears fans will watch another champion crowned on Sunday, they can also look forward to next season's chance to prove, once again, that Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams, and the rest of the team that Ryan Poles has built is ready to make a run for the Lombardi Trophy.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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