Breaking down each quarter of the Bears' 2026 schedule

The Chicago Bears released their schedule on Thursday night after numerous leaks and a buildup of conversation. Now, fans across the world can plan their fall and winter around the league, which has more international and holiday games than ever. The Bears will see 2026 as a year to defend their NFC North title.

They went 11-6 in 2025 and won a playoff game, which is always a hard expectation to live up to the following year. It's even harder knowing that they are still extremely early in their contention window. In Year 2 of Ben Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams is expected to take another step in his development, which should allow the Bears to be a winning team once again.

The schedule shows that the league views the Bears as a hot commodity because they are getting a lot of prime-time slots, holiday games, and big matchups on key dates. The Bears' schedule, based on 2025 winning percentage, is the hardest in the entire NFL. That comes with winning a division where everyone is competitive.

When you break down each quarter of the season, it shows four separate portions of the year that will present different challenges. First Quarter Week 1: at Carolina Panthers Week 2: vs. Minnesota Vikings Week 3: vs.