The lights at Soldier Field may shine brighter than ever this fall. The 2026–27 season schedule for the Chicago Bears has fans believing that the franchise has entered a new era.
After an 11-win campaign and a playoff breakthrough in 2025, the Bears were rewarded with one of the league’s most high-profile schedules. Chicago will have appearances on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
The season is expected to begin with a road game against the Carolina Panthers, before Chicago settles into a challenging schedule that includes games with the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, and division rivals in the NFC North.
Perhaps the most anticipated date on the calendar comes in Week 12, when the Bears travel to face the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, Chicago’s first Thanksgiving appearance in years. The matchup, scheduled for Nov. 26 at Ford Field, places the Bears in the national spotlight during one of football’s most watched traditions. The holiday spotlight does not end there. Chicago will also host the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day in what could become one of the season’s most crowd pleaser games.
According to confirmed reports, the Bears’ primetime lineup includes, Week 3 vs. Philadelphia (Monday Night Football), Week 7 vs. New England Patriots (Thursday Night Football), Week 8 at Seattle Seahawks (Monday Night Football), Week 9 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sunday Night Football), Week 12 at Detroit (Thanksgiving), Week 15 at Buffalo (Saturday Night Football), Week 16 vs. Green Bay (Christmas Day)
The Bears will face a challenging schedule overall, with analysts already labeling it one of the toughest schedules in the league based on opponent winning percentages from last season. But expectations have clearly changed. Chicago is no longer viewed as a rebuilding franchise instead they are being treated as a contender to make deep runs in the playoffs.
And if the 2026–27 season lives up to the hype, this schedule may ultimately be remembered as the moment the rest of the league realized Chicago football is truly back.