Latest schedule announcement for the Bears could allow Chicago to recreate memorable piece of franchise history in 2026
The Chicago Bears just got another another holiday game announced on the 2026 schedule, this time on Christmas against the Green Bay Packers with a chance to recreate a memorable moment in franchise history.
More games on the Chicago Bears’ 2026 regular season schedule continue to be announced and we just got a massive one confirmed for Week 16.
The Bears will host the Green Bay Packers at 1:00 ET on Christmas Day with game being available on Netflix. It will be the first of three NFL games to be held that day. The other confirmed game on Christmas Day will be the Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks. The third game is still yet to be announced but one of the teams will be the Denver Broncos.
This Bears-Packers matchup was leaked on Wednesday night and officially got confirmed on Thursday by NFL insider Jordan Schultz. This is expected to be the second of the two matchups against the Packers. With this announcement now official, the Bears will be playing games on Thanksgiving and Christmas against an NFC North rival in 2026.
Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have some history playing on Christmas Day
This is going to be a perfect Christmas Day game for the NFL. The only complaint is that this will be a noon kickoff at Soldier Field instead of being the night game. Regardless, the rivalry between the Bears and Packers has never been more alive than it is going into this season based on how the three games went last season.
The Bears and Packers also have some history playing on Christmas Day. Chicago has only played on the holiday (not including Christmas Eve) two times in franchise history and both games were against the Packers.
The first came in 2005 when the 10-4 Bears defeated the 3-11 Packers at Lambeau, a win that clinched an NFC North title for Chicago. It was the first division title of the Lovie Smith Era. The second matchup came in 2011 when the 13-1 Packers beat the 7-7 Bears.
This matchup is expected to be even bigger and could easily turn into an even more memorable moment for either team. Considering this game is in Week 16, it’s entirely possible that this game could decide the NFC North title race and the entire country will be able to be glued to the TV watching it unfold.
The rest of Chicago’s 2026 regular season schedule will be fully announced later Thursday night during the NFL’s official schedule release show at 8:00 p.m. ET.