The Chicago Bears‘ magical 2025 season came to a heartbreaking end with a 20-17 divisional round loss to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime. But it was a memorable season for the Bears.

Chicago went from worst to first in the NFC North in Ben Johnson’s first season as head coach, where they won their first playoff game in 15 years and made it clear they’re going to be a contender moving forward. But there are still some concerns for the Bears to address this offseason, specifically on defense, where the defensive line needs to be overhauled and some big salary cap decisions for GM Ryan Poles.

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While we won’t know the official schedule for a few months, we already know who Chicago will be playing in the 2026 season.

In addition to facing their NFC foes twice, the Bears will play the NFC South and AFC East next season, which includes home games against the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as well as away games against the Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers.

With the Bears finishing first in the NFC North, they’ll also face the same-place finishers in the NFC East, NFC West and AFC South.

Here’s a look at which teams the Bears will play — both home and away — next season.

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Bears’ home opponentsBears’ away opponentsInitial analysis

At first glance, the Bears have a respectable slate in 2026, especially considering they’re playing a first-place schedule after their NFC North title. Not only will Chicago have to play a competitive NFC North — facing the Lions, Packers and Vikings twice — but they’ll also face seven total playoff teams from this current season. While things can change from year to year, some of the most intriguing matchups include the Bills, Patriots, Jaguars, Eagles and Seahawks. But there are also some favorable matchups on the schedule, where they’ll face the NFC South (one of the worst divisions) and NFC East (featuring the Jets and Dolphins). With that said, you never know what these teams are going to look like next season. The Bears have the most difficult slate heading into 2026. But Chicago also had the second-toughest schedule when the 2024 season concluded, and it wound up being on the easier side with some teams experiencing drop offs. But this schedule certainly isn’t a major juggernaut.

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears’ 2026 opponents: Who Chicago will face next season