Analyzing the Bears’ 2026 schedule:
Week 1. Sept. 13 at Panthers, noon (Fox 32)
If not for a trade, Caleb Williams might be a Panther. He and Bryce Young, whom the Panthers took with the No. 1 pick the Bears sent them in 2023, have faced off once — but Young came off the bench that 2024 game,
Week 2. Sept. 20 vs. Vikings, noon (Fox 32)
Kyler Murray beat out La Grange Park native J.J. McCarthy this preseason. He’ll become the fourth-straight No. 1 overall pick the Bears have faced at quarterback, dating to preseason practices.
Week 3. Monday, Sept. 28 vs. Eagles, 7:15 p.m. (ABC 7/ESPN)
The last time the two teams played each other, on “Black Friday,” Ben Johnson ripped his shirt off and Chicagoans got free hot dogs from The Wiener’s Circle.
Week 4. Oct. 4 vs. Jets, noon (Fox 32)
Having the AFC East on their schedule is a blessing for the Bears. The Jets and Dolphins have the second- and third-longest odds to win the Super Bowl, behind only the Cardinals.
Week 5. Oct. 11 at Packers, 3:25 p.m. (Fox 32)
The Packers have circled this date for the potential return of all-word defensive end Micah Parsons, who must sit out the first four games of the season after being put on the physically unable to perform list because of a knee he tore last year.
Week 6. Oct. 18 at Falcons, noon (Fox 32)
The Gervon Dexter Revenge Game? Bears GM Ryan Poles traded Dexter to one of his best friends, new Falcons GM Ian Cunningham, last month. Cunningham was hired after spending the last four years with the Bears.
Week 7. Thursday, Oct. 22 vs. Patriots, 7:15 p.m. (Amazon Prime Video)
Drake Maye, whom the Patriots picked two spots after the Bears took Williams, has outplayed all the rookie quarterbacks from the 2024 class. He’s a 10-1 bet to win MVP, the sixth-shortest odds in the NFL.
Week 8. Monday, Nov. 2 at Seahawks, 7:15 p.m. (ABC 7/ESPN)
Eagle-eyed Illinoisans will recognize one familiar face on the defending Super Bowl champions’ sideline: Thomas Hammock, who left his head coaching job at NIU in February to become their running backs coach.
Week 9. Nov. 8 vs. Buccaneers, 7:20 p.m. (NBC 5)
By a quirk of the schedule — and the fact their teams often finished in the same spot in their division standings — the Bears played the Bucs eight times in 10 seasons from 2014-23.
Week 10. BYE
Week 11. Nov. 22 vs. Saints, noon (Fox 32)
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was moved last year when the Bears beat the Saints, who’d fired him as their head coach in 2024, at Soldier Field. Not that he let on much. “Certainly one I wanted to get,” he said at the time.
Week 12. Thursday, Nov. 26 at Lions, noon (CBS 2)
The last time the Bears went to Ford Field they played the worst game of the Ben Johnson era. In Week 2 last year, they were beat 52-21. In their second game without Johnson, the Lions averaged a team-record 8.8 yards.
Week 13. Dec. 6 vs. Jaguars, noon (Fox 32)
Coach Liam Coen took a shot at Caleb Williams this offseason when he said his Jaguars got little respect but he sees “40 pictures of Caleb Williams” on the NFL’s web site each day.
Week 14. Dec. 13 at Dolphins, noon (CBS 2)
The Bears should handle the Dolphins. Johnson is familiar with their scheme — their head coach, quarterback and defensive coordinator were all with the Packers last year.
Week 15. Saturday, Dec. 19 at Bills, 7:20 p.m. (CBS 2)
In what should be the Bears’ Game of the Year (Non-Packers Edition), the team will face off against MVP favorite Josh Allen inside the Bills’ sparkling new stadium — and in prime time.
Week 16. Friday, Dec. 25 vs. Packers, noon (Netflix)
The Bears will wear their “Rivalries” uniform — orange helmet, navy jersey, orange pants — on Christmas day against the Packers. The Packers will wear their standard road uniforms.
Week 17. Jan. 3 vs. Lions, 3:25 p.m. (Fox 32)
Of every team all season, the Bears have the league’s best edge in rest between games, relative to their opponents, per Sharp Football Analysis. They’ll have three extra days’ rest than the Lions, who play Dec. 28.
Week 18. at Vikings (date, time, TV all to be determined)
The Bears and Vikings will have to wait for details of a game that might decide a playoff berth for either team. The NFL won’t announce game days or times for any team until the days leading up to Week 18.