Getty

The Chicago Bears finished with an 11-6 record in 2025.

The NFL Schedule Release for the 2026 season is officially set for Thursday, May 14th. While Chicago Bears’ fans await the order in which they will face their opponents, the teams they will face are already known.

Based on each team’s opponent win percentage from 2025, the NFL ranked Chicago with the toughest strength of schedule for 2026.

The Bears shocked the league in head coach Ben Johnson’s inaugural season. Johnson helped revitalize the franchise and turn them into a true contender. One of the caveats that comes with winning your division is that you face a first-place schedule the following year. Johnson and the Bears most likely view their tough schedule as an opportunity to test themselves.

Here is a breakdown of the teams that make up the .550 opponent win percentage Chicago will face.

Each Division The Chicago Bears Will Face Next Year

The NFC North

The obvious first challenge the Bears will look to overcome is their own division. Just one season after being the only team from the NFC North to miss the postseason, Chicago came out on top…kind of. Despite being the North champions, Chicago didn’t beat the reigning North champion Detroit Lions at all last season. Ben Johnson’s former team outscored his new squad 71-37 in their two matchups last year. Chicago will be looking to repeat the outcome of 2025, but will need to overcome an even more motivated Lions team after they failed to make the playoffs last year. 

The Green Bay Packers don’t need any extra motivation to face Chicago, as the oldest rivalry in the NFL did not disappoint last season. Each of their three matchups came down to the final possession as the Bears ultimately walked away with a 2-1 record and bounced the cheeseheads from the Wild Card round.

 The Minnesota Vikings are expected to be more stable next season. Even with questions at the quarterback position, the Vikings managed to go 9-8 in 2025. With more stability entering 2026, top-notch coaching, and a talented roster that might contain the best receiver in football, Minnesota will not be an easy out for the Bears.

The NFC South

Perhaps the easiest part of the Bears’ schedule could be facing the NFC South. The Carolina Panthers stole the division from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with an 8-9 record. Despite every team in the North posting a better record than the South, the division should not be overlooked. The Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, and New Orleans Saints all flashed potential last season. The Panthers and Falcons had big upset wins over the Rams and Bills, while the Buccaneers look to rebound from a disappointing end to the year, and the Saints look to build off a 4-1 finish. As the Bears can attest to last season, every year is different, and things can change very quickly.

The AFC East

Not much needs to be said about the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills. The Patriots are looking to rebound from a Super Bowl loss, but things are still looking up for the division as a whole. Caleb Williams will be looking to best his 2024-draft class QB running mate, Drake Maye, at home. Perhaps 2026 will be an MVP-type year for Williams, but to do that, a strong showing against the 2024 MVP Josh Allen, would go a long way. The New York Jets and Miami Dolphins are in a similar boat of teams that should be better in 2026, but might not have all the pieces just yet. Still, they have nothing to lose, and that can make them dangerous. 

The Finals Teams Chicago Will Face Based on 2025 Standings

The Seattle Seahawks

The final piece of the Super Bowl LX sandwich. Simply, if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. It was previously rumored that this could be the season kick-off game, and in that case, the Bears would get to test their mettle immediately.

The Jacksonville Jaguars

There is an argument that the Jaguars were the hottest team in football at the end of the regular season. A battle between second-year culture-changing head coaches and former first-overall picks has prime time potential written all over it.

The Philadelphia Eagles

The Bears’ 24-15 prime-time win over the Eagles last season was really the first time the world began to recognize what this team was capable of. It’s only fitting that they will have to face them again and once again prove their legitimacy against a team that’s been in the big game in two of the last five seasons.

Fans are just days away from learning the exact details of the schedule release. But there are plenty of worthy matchups to circle heading into the season.