Bears 2026 schedule: Thanksgiving game on tap vs. Lions for 5th time in 9 seasons
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears were the darlings of the NFL last season — and the league is taking full advantage of that status heading into 2026. The Bears will play at least seven standalone games for national audiences this season. The NFL released its full slate of 272 games Thursday night.
While the Bears avoided having to face the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in the season opener, they were selected for numerous marquee windows — including both Thanksgiving and Christmas. It all starts Sunday, Sept. 13, when the Bears kick off the 2026 season against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, N.
C. The standalone games begin two weeks later, when the Bears play the Philadelphia Eagles on “Monday Night Football” in Week 3 at Soldier Field. In Weeks 7-9, they have three consecutive prime-time games: hosting the New England Patriots on a Thursday, visiting the Seahawks on a Monday and hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on “Sunday Night Football.
” The Bears will play the Detroit Lions at noon on Thanksgiving, returning to Ford Field on the holiday for the fifth time in nine seasons. They have another standalone game against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, Dec. 19, at the Bills’ new Highmark Stadium, followed by a Christmas Day game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field.
The Christmas game, on a Friday, will air on Netflix at noon. An earlier matchup with the Packers on Oct. 11 at Lambeau Field is not in a standalone window but will kick off at 3:25 p.