Bears may face a daunting challenge to open Ben Johnson’s second season with the team after Super Bowl LX
The Chicago Bears’ 2026 season could be off to a difficult start if this is the case.
And just like that, the 2025-26 NFL season has officially come to a close for all 32 teams, with the Seattle Seahawks being the lone team standing with the Lombardi Trophy after taking down the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Now, every team in the league is back to square one with eyes set on being the ones to come out on top in 2026.
A lot can change for a team in one offseason, just ask the Chicago Bears after turning a 5-12 season into an 11-6 season that included a division title in the first season under head coach Ben Johnson. As good as that season was, the Bears still fell short of expectations and have a big offseason ahead before the team can even think about next season.
Bears have a strong shot of opening the 2026 season with a massive test out of the gate
For those ready to look ahead to the 2026 season, the Bears have a strong chance of opening the season as the first team to face the reigning champs. Chicago is scheduled to play the Seahawks on the road at some point during the 2026 season, and after winning the Super Bowl, Seattle will open the regular season at home on Thursday night.
That means the Bears are one of nine teams that could face Seattle to open the season, and this game would do numbers if the Bears are selected as the Seahawks first regular-season opponent of 2026.
Throughout the playoffs, the Bears were setting record numbers in terms of viewership, and seeing a young defensive-minded head coach in Mike Macdonald go up against a young offensive-minded head coach in Ben Johnson would be a treat for all football fans.
It would also give Chicago an early test to see what kind of team it truly is after overperforming this past season. Was that season a fluke, or are the Bears back as true contenders?
Whether it’s Week 1 or not, at some point the Bears and Seahawks will come face-to-face during the regular season. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune noted that this matchup will be the fourth time in six years the Bears have faced the defending Super Bowl champion. Chicago has a 1-2 record in those games. That one win came last season when the Bears went on the road and dominated the Philadelphia Eagles.
Scheduling the Bears against the Seahawks in Week 1 would be a smart call by the league, but it’s entirely likely that we see Seattle host the Los Angeles Rams and reigning MVP Matthew Stafford in a rematch of the NFC Championship Game, or even a Super Bowl rematch against New England. Still, anything is possible.
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