Bears 2026 NFL Schedule Released for Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson's Super Bowl Push

The future is now for the Chicago Bears.

After winning the NFC North and reaching the Divisional Round of the playoffs during head coach Ben Johnson's first season in 2025, the expectations will only be higher in 2026 as quarterback Caleb Williams and the rest of the team look to take another step.

Here is the schedule the Bears will be navigating amid those higher expectations:

Anything less than a deep playoff run and perhaps a Super Bowl run would be a disappointment for the Bears, although they will be dealing with a first-place schedule as they attempt to build on their recent success.

Full schedule information available on the team's official website.

Analysis

Chicago and the rest of the NFC North will face the AFC East and NFC South during the 2026 season, which is something of a mixed back.

The AFC East means showdowns against the reigning AFC champions in the New England Patriots and a presumed Super Bowl contender in Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. However, all four NFC South teams finished below .500 last season.

While there is no guarantee the NFC South will be that poor again in 2026, it at least presents favorable matchups for the Bears and others on paper.

Things get far more difficult for Chicago when it comes to its additional three games outside of the AFC East, NFC South and intra-divisional games against the NFC North.

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Williams and Co. will face the Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars in those extra games. That means a showdown with the Super Bowl champions from Seattle as well as two other teams that made the playoffs and won their respective divisions last season.

The Bears were 11-6 last season, but there could be something of a regression based on the overall difficulty of this schedule. On the other hand, Williams could make a leap in another year in Johnson's system. 

That could set Chicago up for a Super Bowl chase even with so many difficult games on the slate.

Pivotal Matchups

Any season for the Bears is going to be partially graded based on their success against the archrival Green Bay Packers.

And, for the first time in a while, Chicago actually has bragging rights.

Williams led his team to a Week 16 overtime victory over the Packers last season to set the stage for the division title and then spearheaded an incredible comeback for a Wild Card Round win over Green Bay. The Bears scored 25 points in the fourth quarter alone for their 31-27 postseason victory.

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Figuring out a way to continue the head-to-head success against the Packers will be key in the division race and in the battle for home-field advantage in the playoffs. The same can be said for matchups against the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, as the NFC North promises to be one of the most heated races in the league.

After all, each of the four teams finished above .500 last season and bring back plenty of talent in 2026.

Elsewhere, the matchups against the Eagles and Seahawks also stand out. The Bears have Super Bowl aspirations this season, and defeating these fellow NFC contenders could clear the way for home-field advantage in the playoffs.