Chicago Bears 2026 Schedule Is Out and It Sets Up Holiday Drama and Brutal Tests

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The tough schedule is nothing new for Chicago

The schedule looks difficult on paper (though Rome Odunze's Bob Ross impression yielded excellent results in the team's schedule release video), but it's important to note that last year's schedule looked treacherous this time last year, too. They were tied for the second-most difficult schedule (with the Lions, only behind the Giants) entering the 2025 season.

Then the entire AFC North and NFC East severely underperformed expectations. They were considered pretenders who benefited from a cakewalk schedule by the beginning of November.

There are reasons for optimism with the Bears' schedule, including the fact that they're kicking off the season with a road matchup in Carolina. That's a much better scenario than a Wednesday night clash in Seattle (which was a popular projected outcome for Week One).

They won't be well-traveled

The Bears were also expected to make the trip to Madrid for their road matchup against the Falcons (it honestly doesn't make much sense that they're not, given that the Bengals don't have marketing rights in Spain, but that's a story for another day). The schedule makers clearly had other plans, though.

While it would've been nice to play one of their eight road games in a neutral territory, they definitely saved some air miles with the international game snub. That partially contributed to them traveling the third-fewest air miles among all teams next season.

Their trip to Seattle will mark the only time that they'll travel outside the central and eastern time zones on the entire season. It feels safe to assume jet lag won't take a toll in 2026.

They will cause holiday arguments, though

The 2026 NFL season will mark the third time that the Bears have played on Christmas, with the first two occasions also featuring matchups against the Packers in 2005 and 2011. They've played 38 times on Thanksgiving, with their most recent matchup coming two years ago against Detroit.

With that said, this will be the first time in franchise history that they'll be playing on both holidays in one season. Those matchups could prove pivotal in one of the league's most competitive divisions.

Ben Johnson getting his first win over his former team on Thanksgiving would certainly be a reason to be thankful. Alternatively, a loss in that spot could conjure up some arguments at the family dinner table or the ride home from the in-laws' place. Likewise, a loss against Green Bay on Christmas Day could be a reason for a heavier pour of the eggnog than what would otherwise be acceptable. There is no possible middle ground in either matchup.

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