The bears game schedule 2026 gives Chicago fans plenty to watch, with three preseason games already on the calendar and a regular season featuring NFC North rivalries, nationally televised matchups, Thanksgiving football, a Christmas Day meeting with Green Bay and a late-season push toward the playoffs. The Bears begin their preseason at Soldier Field against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, August 15, with kickoff scheduled for noon Central Time.
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ – Chicago opens the 2026 preseason against Cleveland at Soldier Field. ║
║ – The regular season begins September 13 on the road against Carolina. ║
║ – Chicago has five scheduled primetime regular-season games. ║
║ – The Bears will play Detroit on Thanksgiving and Green Bay on Christmas Day. ║
║ – Chicago’s Week 10 bye comes before the final eight regular-season games. ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Chicago Bears 2026 Schedule Overview
The 2026 campaign is shaping up as one of the more distinctive schedules in recent Bears history. Chicago will play preseason games against Cleveland, Cincinnati and Tennessee before beginning its regular-season schedule in Carolina.
The regular season includes 17 games and one bye week, following the NFL’s current scheduling format. Chicago will face every NFC North opponent twice, creating six important division games, while the remaining matchups bring a wide variety of opponents from around the NFC and AFC.
The schedule also gives Bears fans several nationally prominent dates. Chicago is scheduled for Monday Night Football against Philadelphia, Thursday Night Football against New England, Monday Night Football in Seattle and Sunday Night Football against Tampa Bay. The Christmas Day matchup with Green Bay adds another major standalone game to the calendar.
2026 Bears Preseason Schedule
Chicago’s preseason begins Saturday, August 15, against the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field. The game is scheduled for noon Central Time.
The second preseason contest takes Chicago to Cincinnati on Saturday, August 22, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. Central Time. The preseason concludes August 29 when the Bears travel to Tennessee for a 5 p.m. Central Time matchup.
Preseason Week 1: Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears
Date: Saturday, August 15
Time: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Soldier Field, Chicago
The Browns are the first opponent on Chicago’s 2026 preseason schedule. The game arrives as the Bears continue evaluating their roster ahead of the regular season.
One of the biggest storylines entering the matchup is playing time for established starters. Chicago has indicated that most of its starters, including quarterback Caleb Williams, are not expected to play in the preseason opener. That puts additional attention on reserve players, young prospects and individuals competing for roster positions.
Cleveland is also entering the game with its own quarterback storyline, making the preseason matchup useful for evaluating players on both sides.
Preseason Week 2: Bears at Cincinnati Bengals
Date: Saturday, August 22
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati
Chicago’s second preseason game is its first road contest of the exhibition schedule.
The trip to Cincinnati gives coaches another opportunity to evaluate players in a competitive game environment. By the second preseason contest, roster decisions typically become more important as teams move closer to finalizing their regular-season groups.
Preseason Week 3: Bears at Tennessee Titans
Date: Saturday, August 29
Time: 5 p.m. CT
Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville
The preseason finale comes against Tennessee.
This game should be particularly important for players fighting for roster spots, backup roles and special-teams opportunities. Teams generally use the final preseason game to make evaluations before the regular season begins.
Chicago’s 2026 Regular-Season Opener
The Bears begin the regular season Sunday, September 13, against the Carolina Panthers.
Week 1: Bears at Panthers
Date: Sunday, September 13
Time: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
TV: FOX
The season-opening trip to Carolina starts Chicago’s pursuit of a postseason position.
Opening games can quickly establish the tone for an NFL season. Chicago will have the challenge of beginning away from home before returning to Soldier Field for Week 2.
Week 2: Vikings at Bears
Date: Sunday, September 20
Time: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Soldier Field
TV: FOX
Chicago’s home opener comes against Minnesota.
The matchup is significant because the Vikings are one of the Bears’ three NFC North rivals. Division games carry added importance because they directly affect the standings and can become valuable tiebreakers later in the year.
Week 3: Eagles at Bears
Date: Monday, September 28
Time: 7:15 p.m. CT
Location: Soldier Field
TV: ESPN and ABC
Chicago gets its first scheduled Monday Night Football appearance of the season against Philadelphia.
A nationally televised home game provides a major spotlight for the Bears. It also gives Chicago an early opportunity to measure itself against an Eagles team that could be part of the NFC postseason picture.
Week 4: Jets at Bears
Date: Sunday, October 4
Time: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Soldier Field
TV: FOX
The New York Jets visit Chicago in Week 4.
The game keeps the Bears at home following the Monday night matchup with Philadelphia. Chicago will have to manage the shorter recovery period associated with its Week 3 Monday night game before returning to a traditional Sunday afternoon schedule.
Week 5: Bears at Packers
Date: Sunday, October 11
Time: 3:25 p.m. CT
Location: Lambeau Field
TV: FOX
One of the season’s most recognizable rivalries arrives in Week 5 when Chicago travels to Green Bay.
The Bears-Packers rivalry is one of the NFL’s oldest and most closely followed matchups. The October meeting will be played at Lambeau Field, giving Green Bay home-field advantage.
The teams will meet again later in the year, making this one of the rare regular-season rivalries to receive an additional national spotlight during the holiday period.
Week 6: Bears at Falcons
Date: Sunday, October 18
Time: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
TV: FOX
Chicago remains on the road in Week 6 for a matchup against Atlanta.
The game completes a stretch in which the Bears travel away from Soldier Field following their Week 4 home game. Managing travel and maintaining consistency will be important as the team approaches another nationally televised contest.
Week 7: Patriots at Bears
Date: Thursday, October 22
Time: 7:15 p.m. CT
Location: Soldier Field
TV: Prime Video
Thursday Night Football arrives in Chicago in Week 7 when the New England Patriots visit Soldier Field.
The short turnaround makes Thursday games unique. Teams have considerably less recovery and preparation time compared with a normal Sunday-to-Sunday schedule.
For the Bears, the game also begins a particularly busy portion of the schedule.
Week 8: Bears at Seahawks
Date: Monday, November 2
Time: 7:15 p.m. CT
Location: Lumen Field, Seattle
TV: ESPN
Chicago travels west to face the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football.
The Seattle game represents another major road test and another nationally televised appearance. Travel will be an important factor because the Bears must make the long trip to the Pacific Northwest for the Monday night contest.
Week 9: Buccaneers at Bears
Date: Sunday, November 8
Time: 7:20 p.m. CT
Location: Soldier Field
TV: NBC
Chicago closes its scheduled three-game primetime stretch by hosting Tampa Bay on Sunday Night Football.
The matchup comes just six days after the Seattle game, creating a demanding portion of the schedule.
Week 10: Bears Bye Week
Chicago’s bye week falls in Week 10.
The break provides an important opportunity for players to recover after the first nine games. Coaches can also use the bye to review performance, make adjustments and prepare for the second half of the season.
The timing of the bye could become especially valuable because the Bears enter the break after several high-profile games.
Week 11: Saints at Bears
Date: Sunday, November 22
Time: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Soldier Field
TV: FOX
Chicago returns from its bye against the New Orleans Saints.
The game starts the final portion of the regular season and gives the Bears another home matchup before Thanksgiving.
Week 12: Bears at Lions — Thanksgiving Day
Date: Thursday, November 26
Time: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Ford Field, Detroit
TV: CBS
The Bears head to Detroit for Thanksgiving Day football.
This is one of the most anticipated dates on the schedule because Chicago and Detroit are NFC North rivals. Playing on Thanksgiving also places the Bears in one of the NFL’s most recognizable annual football traditions.
The game could have significant division implications by late November.
Week 13: Jaguars at Bears
Date: Sunday, December 6
Time: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Soldier Field
TV: FOX
Chicago returns home to face Jacksonville in Week 13.
At this stage of the season, every game can become increasingly important for teams chasing playoff positions. The Jaguars matchup begins a key December stretch for the Bears.
Week 14: Bears at Dolphins
Date: Sunday, December 13
Time: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
TV: CBS
The Bears travel to Miami for another AFC matchup.
December road games can bring unique challenges, and Chicago will have to handle the travel while maintaining focus during the final weeks of the regular season.
Week 15: Bears at Bills
Date: Saturday, December 19
Time: 7:20 p.m. CT
Location: Highmark Stadium, Buffalo
TV: CBS
Chicago’s Week 15 game is scheduled for Saturday night against Buffalo.
The matchup is another standalone opportunity for the Bears to appear before a national audience. By mid-December, the playoff picture should also be much clearer, potentially adding considerable importance to the contest.
Week 16: Packers at Bears — Christmas Day
Date: Friday, December 25
Time: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Soldier Field
TV: Netflix
The Christmas Day matchup against Green Bay is arguably the signature game on Chicago’s 2026 schedule.
The Bears will host the Packers on December 25, creating a holiday version of one of football’s most historic rivalries.
Chicago’s schedule is particularly unusual because the team is also scheduled to play on Thanksgiving. Having major division games on both holidays gives Bears fans two prominent late-season dates to circle.
Week 17: Lions at Bears
Date: Sunday, January 3, 2027
Time: 3:25 p.m. CT
Location: Soldier Field
TV: FOX
Detroit comes to Chicago for Week 17.
The late-season NFC North matchup could be extremely important depending on the standings. With only one regular-season game remaining after Week 17, division and playoff scenarios could be significantly clearer.
Week 18: Bears at Vikings
Date: Date and time TBD
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
Chicago finishes the regular season on the road against Minnesota.
The NFL has not yet assigned the final date and kickoff time for the Week 18 matchup. Week 18 scheduling is generally finalized later because the league considers playoff implications and competitive balance when setting kickoff times.
That means Bears fans will need to watch for the final announcement before making plans around the season finale.
Biggest Games to Watch
Several matchups immediately stand out on the bears game schedule 2026.
The two Packers games will naturally attract major attention. Chicago first visits Lambeau Field in October before welcoming Green Bay to Soldier Field on Christmas Day.
The Thanksgiving matchup with Detroit is another major attraction. Detroit has traditionally been one of the NFL’s prominent Thanksgiving hosts, making Chicago’s appearance part of a long-running holiday football tradition.
The Eagles, Patriots, Seahawks and Buccaneers games also provide four major primetime tests during the first half of the season.
Why the 2026 Schedule Is Unusual
Chicago’s 2026 schedule stands out because the Bears are scheduled to play on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday during the season.
That variety gives fans games across almost every major NFL viewing window.
The Bears also have five scheduled primetime regular-season games, providing considerably more national exposure than a typical schedule. Alongside those games, Thanksgiving and Christmas create two additional standalone opportunities.
The scheduling variety could also affect preparation and recovery. Thursday and Monday games can create unusual rest patterns, while the Christmas Day contest falls on a Friday and the Buffalo game comes on a Saturday.
What Bears Fans Should Watch During the Preseason
Although preseason results do not determine the regular-season standings, August games are crucial for roster evaluation.
The most important storylines include quarterback depth, offensive line competition, receiver and defensive-back battles, special teams and the development of younger players.
The first preseason game against Cleveland is especially useful for evaluating players who need additional game experience. With many established starters expected to have limited or no playing time, attention will likely shift toward players trying to earn larger roles.
The second and third preseason games should provide additional opportunities as the coaching staff moves closer to final roster decisions.
Final Takeaway
Chicago’s 2026 schedule combines traditional NFC North rivalries with a series of nationally televised games and unusual holiday appearances. The season starts with Carolina on September 13 and includes major home dates against Philadelphia, New England, Tampa Bay and Green Bay.
The Bears will also travel to Green Bay, Atlanta, Seattle, Detroit, Miami and Buffalo before finishing the regular season in Minnesota. With Thanksgiving football in Detroit and Christmas Day football against the Packers, the final two months of the campaign should provide plenty of high-profile moments.
For fans following every matchup, the most important thing to remember is that NFL schedules can change in certain flexible scheduling windows. Checking the latest official team and league announcements is the best way to confirm kickoff information as the season progresses.
Which Bears game are you looking forward to most in 2026? Share your pick in the comments and keep checking back for the latest Chicago football updates