The Chicago Bears, having secured the NFC North title in 2025, face a challenging 2026 schedule loaded with formidable opponents and significant matchups. This includes eight games against teams that made the playoffs last season, five of which were division champions, as well as contests against both Super Bowl finalists from earlier this year.
Key Home Games at Soldier Field
In the 2026 NFL season, the Bears will benefit from an additional home game under the league’s 17-game schedule format, hosting a total of nine games at Soldier Field. Their usual NFC North rivals—the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, and Minnesota Vikings—will be part of this home slate.
Among these are three division winners from other conferences. The Bears will welcome the New England Patriots, who topped the AFC East and played in the recent Super Bowl, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, champions of the AFC South, and the Philadelphia Eagles, the NFC East titleholders.
The schedule also includes two teams that had difficult seasons in 2025, the New Orleans Saints and the New York Jets, who will travel to Chicago. The Buccaneers, led by quarterback Baker Mayfield, are also set as opponents at home, rounding out the Bears’ diverse and competitive lineup of home games.
A potential wrinkle in the schedule involves the Bears’ international marketing rights in Spain, as the NFL plans to hold a game at Madrid’s Bernabéu Stadium in 2026. This could disrupt the possibility of all nine home games occurring in Chicago, marking a second overseas game for the Bears in three years amid the league’s expanding global presence.
Challenging Road Matchups Across the League
The Bears’ road schedule features several demanding trips, including matches against playoff contenders such as the Carolina Panthers, the NFC South champions. One of the season’s most daunting contests will bring the Bears to Seattle to face the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seahawks, in a famously intense environment.
Another milestone for the team is their matchup against the Buffalo Bills during the inaugural season of the Bills’ new stadium. Additional away games will take place in Miami against the Dolphins, Atlanta against the Falcons, and, maintaining conference tradition, road games against the Packers, Lions, and Vikings.
Anticipated Timing for Schedule Announcement
The official 2026 NFL schedule has yet to be released, with the league typically unveiling it after the NFL Draft, which occurs in late April. The Bears’ nine home games will also include one preseason game, details of which will be announced alongside the full schedule for the upcoming season.
