The Chicago Bears are on their way to the NFL playoffs, which is exciting for a franchise in their first season with new head coach Ben Johnson. Now, the NFL is looking toward who the Bears will play in the postseason and when it will happen.
Week 18 in the NFL brings extra drama, because it decides the fate of the teams going to the postseason and how the playoffs will be presented. On Sunday, January 4, the Bears dropped their game to the Detroit Lions in a 19-16 final score. That impacted their postseason run, but it’s nothing they can’t overcome.
Here’s what you need to know about the Bears’ playoff schedule.
Bears’ Next Opponent: Who Will Chicago Play in the NFL Playoffs?
The Chicago Bears’ first opponent in the playoffs hinged on their game on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. They lost that game, and now, they know who they’ll face in the Wild Card round.
The No. 2 seed Bears will take on their NFC North rivals, the No. 7 seed Green Bay Packers at home in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs. The exact date and time of the game will be announced during “Sunday Night Football,” but it will be the weekend of January 10, 2026.
Looking beyond the Chicago Bears, some of the key results from Week 18 include the Seattle Seahawks‘ position in the NFC, securing the No. 1 seed on Saturday, January 3, with their win over the San Francisco 49ers in the regular season finale. In the AFC, the Denver Broncos scored the top seed.
NFL Playoff Schedule: Wild Card Round Starts on Saturday, January 10
The Chicago Bears will start in the postseason during Wild Card Weekend from January 10 through 12. They’re now just three wins away from making it all the way to the big game.
According to research at FB Schedules, with all games being in Eastern time, the first game in the Wild Card Round begins on January 10 at 4:30 p.m. That date will also bring an 8 p.m. game. On January 11, expect three games: one at 1 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. On January 12, there will be one game, at 8:15 p.m.
Next, for the divisional round, starting on January 17, the NFL will host two games, one at 4:30 p.m. and the other at 8:15 p.m. On January 18, games will take place at 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
The AFC Championship is set for January 25 at 3 p.m., and the NFC Championship is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Finally, the Super Bowl will take place on February 8 at 6:30 p.m. on NBC.
Teams Looking to Go to the Championship
The big question, of course, is which teams are favorites to go to the big game for the 2025-26 season? After the Seattle Seahawks getting the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, they’re now the favorited in Las Vegas to win Super Bowl LX. Also, the franchise with the best odds in the AFC to go all the way is the Denver Broncos.
“After the Seahawks beat the 49ers on Saturday night, theyâve become the favorites to win it all,” Michael David Smith of NBC Sports noted in a feature out after the Seattle win. “Their current odds are +370. The Rams have the next-best odds, at +450.”
He continued, stating, “The Rams have been the favorites for much of this season, but the difference between the Rams and Seahawks is that the Seahawks only need to win two home games to get to the Super Bowl, while the Rams will need to win three games, likely all on the road.”
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