Chicago Bears 2026 Schedule Breakdown and Record Prediction: Can They Make Another Playoff Run?
The Chicago Bears are coming off of what was certainly their most exciting season in at least the past 10-15 years. Finishing with an 11-6 record along with an NFC North championship and their first playoff victory since the 2010 season (against the Packers of all teams), Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams have quickly made the Bears one of the most intriguing teams to watch for hopefully the forseeable future. But how will they be able to build off of last year’s success? Based on their opponent’s combined 2025 win percentage, Chicago will have the toughest strength of schedule in the NFL. This has led to a lot of fans and the media predicting them to struggle a lot more next year, and maybe even miss out on the playoffs entirely. Let’s go through their recently released schedule for the 2026 season and see how I think they will do.
The Schedule
Week 1: @ Panthers (W)
Week 2: vs Vikings (W)
Week 3: vs Eagles *MNF* (L)
Week 4: vs Jets (W)
Week 5: @ Packers (L)
Week 6: @ Falcons (W)
Week 7: vs Patriots *TNF* (W)
Week 8: @ Seahawks *MNF* (L)
Week 9: vs Buccaneers *SNF* (L)
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: vs Saints (W)
Week 12: @ Lions *Thanksgiving* (L)
Week 13: vs Jaguars (W)
Week 14: @ Dolphins (W)
Week 15: @ Bills (L)
Week 16: vs Packers *Christmas Day* (W)
Week 17: vs Lions (W)
Week 18: @ Vikings (L)
Final Record Prediction: 10-7
Are the Bears Must See TV?
Well, I wasn’t kidding when I said that the Bears have become one of the most box office teams in the league, and the NFL certainly believes it as well. Chicago is set to play in five traditional primetime games and two standalone holiday games in 2026. It’s truly remarkable to witness the vibes around Chicago football drastically shifting in real time. Hopefully they will be up for the challenge.
Will They Win the North Again?
Last year, an 11-6 record was good enough for the Bears to secure a division crown in the daunting NFC North. But this year, it’s only going to get much more difficult. The Lions are still insanely talented and will be looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs, the Packers will likely be fully healthy, and the Vikings seem to have patched their glaring hole at quarterback by signing Kyler Murray. I believe that if the Bears can finish with at least a 3-3 record against their division, they will be able to secure a wild card spot, and maybe back-to-back first place finishes.
