8 things to know about the 2026 Bears schedule

The paint is finally drying when it comes to the Chicago Bears ' full 2026 schedule release (thanks to Rome Odunze's impressive talents) , and it's chalk full of exciting matchups spanning five days of the week at all hours of the day. Thanks to Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams bringing the Bears back to relevancy, their games are all over the place as they look to repeat as NFC North Division champions. Before we put a bow on one of the final puzzle pieces of the offseason this weekend, let's dive a little deeper into how the Bears' schedule shakes out.

Here are some fun facts and things to know about the slate of games this fall: 1. Bears open the season on the road for the first time in 5 years For the last several years, the Bears have enjoyed staying home when the NFL season opened up. They haven't had to travel for five years, but that changes in 2026.

The Bears will be taking on the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte in Week 1, their first road game to start the season since 2021 when they took on the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. 2. Bears face both Super Bowl participants The Bears are set to take on the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks this season, meaning they get to face both previous Super Bowl participating teams in one year for the first time since 2009 (Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals).

They're even taking them on in back to back weeks, which should provide a good measuring stick in the middle of the season for how good the Bears really are up to that point. 3. Christmas rubber match between Bears and Packers 2026 is shaping up to be a very Beary Christmas as Chicago will welcome the Green Bay Packers to Soldier Field on the holiday.