Ahead of Thursday's NFL schedule release, take a look at who the Bears will play at home and on the road during the 2026 season.
HOME AND AWAY
Detroit Lions (9-8 in 2025)
Series: Bears lead series 105-82-5
Last meeting: Bears lost 19-16 Jan. 4, 2026, at Soldier Field. The Bears rallied from a 16-0 fourth-quarter deficit to tie the score 16-16 on Caleb Williams touchdown passes of 25 yards to Jahdae Walker and 1 yard to Colston Loveland coupled with a pair of two-point conversions. But Jake Bates' 42-yard field goal as time expired gave the Lions the win. On the TD to Walker, Williams' broke Erik Kramer's single-season franchise passing record of 3,838 yards set in 1995.
Notable: The Bears and Lions have met at least once a year since Detroit entered the NFL as the Portsmouth Spartans in 1930, the Bears' longest uninterrupted rivalry in their history.
Green Bay Packers (9-7-1)
Series: Bears trail 109-98-6 but have won two straight and three of last four
Last meeting: Bears won 31-27 in NFC wild card game Jan. 10, 2026, at Soldier Field. For the second time in three weeks, the Bears rallied from a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Packers on a Williams TD pass to DJ Moore. The Bears trailed 21-3 at halftime and 21-6 entering the fourth quarter. They scored the go-ahead touchdown on Williams' 25-yard TD pass with 1:43 left.
Notable: The Bears have tallied at least 21 points in four straight games against the Packers for the first time since 1949-52.
Minnesota Vikings (9-8)
Series: Bears trail 69-59-2
Last meeting: Bears won 19-17 Nov. 16, 2025, in Minnesota. Cairo Santos' 48-yard field goal as time expired lifted the Bears after the Vikings had turned a 16-3 fourth-quarter deficit into a 17-16 lead with :50 to play. Santos' kick was set up by Devin Duvernay's season-long 56-yard kickoff return to the Minnesota 40.
Notable: Last season both Bears-Vikings games were decided by three points or fewer for the first time since 2013.
HOME
Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4)
Series: Bears lead 6-3 and have won two straight and four of last five
Last meeting: Bears won 35-16 Oct. 13, 2024, in London. Williams passed for a career-high four TDs—two to Cole Kmet and two to Keenan Allen—and the defense generated two takeaways and four sacks. Kmet also filled in at long snapper after Scott Daly exited with a knee injury in the first quarter, earning NFC special teams player of the week honors.
Notable: The two teams are led by the only two individuals (Ben Johnson and Liam Coen) who won a division title last year in their first season as an NFL head coach.
New England Patriots (14-3)
Series: Bears trail 11-5
Last meeting: Bears lost 19-3 Nov. 10, 2024, at Soldier Field. Santos provided his team's only points with a 33-yard field goal midway through the second quarter.
Notable: The most lopsided game in the series remains the Bears' 46-10 victory in Super Bowl XX.
New Orleans Saints (6-11)
Series: Bears trail 19-15
Last meeting: Bears won 26-14 Oct. 19, 2025, at Soldier Field. The Bears generated four takeaways and rushed for 222 yards and two touchdowns. They raced to a 20-0 second-quarter lead, with the offense scoring 10 points off two takeaways. The defense also registered four sacks and held the Saints to 44 yards rushing, an average of 2.6 yards per carry with a long run of seven yards.
Notable: Since 1990, the Bears' three postseason wins over the Saints are their most versus any NFL team.
New York Jets (3-14)
Series: Bears lead 9-4 and have won five of last six
Last meeting: Bears lost 31-10 Nov. 27, 2022, in New York. Despite hurting his oblique during pregame warmups, Trevor Siemian made his only start as a member of the Bears in place of the injured Fields. The Bears scored on their first two possessions, including Siemian's 4-yard TD pass to Byron Pringle.
Notable: This season makes the eighth straight game between the teams played in an even-numbered year (2000, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026).
Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
Series: Bears lead 30-17-1
Last meeting: Bears won 24-15 Nov. 28, 2025, in Philadelphia. The Bears offense rushed for 281 yards and two touchdowns and the defense generated two takeaways and permitted just two TDs in a battle of first-place teams on Black Friday. Kyle Monangai (130 yards on 22 carries) and D'Andre Swift (125 yards on 18 attempts) became the first Bears duo to each rush for at least 100 yards in a game since Walter Payton and Matt Suhey Nov. 10, 1985, against the Lions.
Notable: Bears won their first 15 home games over the Eagles from 1939-95.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
Series: Bears lead 40-22
Last meeting: Bears lost 27-17 Sept. 17, 2023, in Tampa. The Bears closed the gap to 20-17 in the fourth quarter on Fields' 20-yard TD pass to Chase Claypool but could get no closer. The temperature at kickoff was 89 degrees with a heat index of 103.
Notable: Bears have won three straight and six of last seven over the Buccaneers at Soldier Field dating back to 2000 with only loss coming in overtime in 2008.
AWAY
Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
Series: Bears lead 16-14 and have won four of last six
Last meeting: Bears won 37-17 Dec. 31, 2023, at Soldier Field. Fields generated 313 yards from scrimmage and two TDs and the defense intercepted four passes. Fields completed 20 of 32 passes for 268 yards with one TD, no turnovers and a 99.5 passer rating and rushed for 45 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries. Moore caught nine passes for 159 yards and one TD, and Khalil Herbert rushed for 124 yards and one touchdown. Tyrique Stevenson intercepted two passes, while T.J. Edwards and Kyler Gordon each registered one pick.
Notable: Bears have won seven of last eight home games over Falcons, not allowing TDs in victories of 36-0 in 1985, 6-0 in 1993 and 16-3 in 2005.
Buffalo Bills (12-5)
Series: Bears lead series 8-6
Last meeting: Bears lost 35-13 Dec. 24, 2022, at Soldier Field. The Bears took a 7-0 lead on Fields' 6-yard TD pass to Dante Pettis before the Bills rallied. Gordon and Nicholas Morrow intercepted Josh Allen passes in the loss.
Notable: The Bears' last three wins over the Bills have all come in different cities: Chicago (2006), Toronto (2010) and Buffalo (2018).
Carolina Panthers (8-9)
Series: Bears lead 9-4 and have won four straight and seven of last eight
Last meeting: Bears won 36-10 Oct. 6, 2024, at Soldier Field. After falling behind 7-0, the Bears scored 30 unanswered points. Williams passed for 304 yards and two TDs, Moore had five catches for 105 yards and two TDs and Swift rushed for 73 yards and one TD. The defense contributed three takeaways and four sacks while limiting the Panthers to 292 total yards and 14 first downs.
Notable: In winning their last four meetings with the Panthers, the Bears have allowed 3, 16, 13 and 10 points.
Miami Dolphins (7-10)
Series: Bears trail 10-4
Last meeting: Bears lost 35-32 Nov. 6, 2022, at Soldier Field. Fields set an NFL single-game record for most rushing yards by a quarterback with 178, including the longest TD run by a quarterback in team history (61 yards). He also threw for three TDs and posted a 106.7 passer rating.
Notable: The last shutout the Bears recorded was a 16-0 Thursday night victory Nov. 18, 2010, in Miami.
Seattle Seahawks (14-3)
Series: Bears trail 11-8 but have won two of last three
Last meeting: Bears lost 6-3 Dec. 26, 2024, at Soldier Field. The Bears defense did not allow a TD, held Seattle scoreless in the second half and limited quarterback Geno Smith to 160 yards while recording three sacks.
Notable: The last two times the Bears advanced to the NFC Championship Game, they did so with divisional round wins over the Seahawks, 27-24 in overtime in 2006 and 35-24 in 2010.
The Bears and their NFC North rivals will play all four teams in the NFC South (Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints) and the AFC East (Bills, Dolphins, Jets and Patriots) in 2026.
The Bears will also face three opponents that finished in the same place in their respective divisions as they did (first), hosting the Eagles (NFC East) and Jaguars (AFC South) and visiting the Seahawks (NFC West).
Every NFC team plays nine home games and eight road contests in 2026 and all even-numbered years and eight home games and nine road contests in odd-numbered years.
