Bears Schedule Release: We finally got leaks on Week 1 opponent, primetime matchups, and two holiday games for Chicago
The Chicago Bears finally know some of their upcoming 2026 schedule as the slow drip continues leading up to the NFL’s official schedule release on Thursday night.
The NFL has slowing been dripping out the 2026 schedule throughout the week leading up to the official release on Thursday night and finally the Chicago Bears got into the action on Wednesday with some games getting leaked.
Before Wednesday, all we knew is that the Bears weren’t going to Madrid, Spain to face the Atlanta Falcons and weren’t facing a few different opponents in Week 1 that already had matchups leaked.
After Wednesday, we now know Chicago’s Week 1 opponent, a few different primetime games, and two holiday matchups that all got leaked. Let’s break it down.
Chicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers set for Week 1
Everyone, including myself, was hoping to see the Bears open the season in Seattle to face the defending Super Bowl Champs on a Wednesday night. Instead, the league announced that Week 1 will be a Super Bowl rematch between the Seahawks and the New England Patriots.
Not long after, it was revealed that the Bears will be on the road to open the season, but will instead be heading east to take on the Carolina Panthers. It’ll still be a fun matchup between two rising teams in the NFC and the Bears will be the first team to face Carolina after a strong offseason the team put together.
And, of course, we get to hear all about the trade between these two teams that allowed the Panthers to draft QB Bryce Young and gave the Bears QB Caleb Williams, RT Darnell Wright, WR DJ Moore, and much more. With that trade finally completed, hopefully this is the last time we’ll have to hear about it.
Chicago Bears will play on Thanksgiving and Christmas
The first holiday game has officially been confirmed Thursday morning by league reporters with the Bears set to face the Detroit Lions in Detroit on Thanksgiving. It will be the fifth time in nine years the two teams played each other on Thanksgiving.
The last time Chicago played in Detroit, the Lions dropped 52 points on the Bears in Week 2, in head coach Ben Johnson’s first game back at Ford Field. The Bears, actually, went 0-2 against the Lions last season despite winning the NFC North.
I’m sure the disaster 2024 Thanksgiving game between the Bears and Lions, the loss that led to head coach Matt Eberflus’ firing, will be a major storyline going into this.
As for the Christmas game, it’s now been confirmed by Jordan Schultz that the Bears will be facing the Green Bay Packers in Chicago. This will be the second of the two matchups against Packers based on the leaks so far and the first Christmas game for Chicago since 2011 (also against the Packers).
Other primetime games rumored on the Chicago Bears’ schedule
If having two holiday games wasn’t enough, the Bears are also rumored to be playing in four other primetime games. Monday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles, Thursday Night Football against the New England Patriots, Monday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks, and Sunday Night Football against the Tamp Bay Buccaneers. Along with a Saturday game against the Buffalo Bills.
We were warned that the Bears will be under the national spotlight this upcoming season and it’s looking like that’ll be the case if these matchups get confirmed.