The Chicago Bears had their 2025 season opener on Monday Night Football versus the Minnesota Vikings.

The Bears had a 17-6 lead in the third quarter after a 74-yard pick-six by Nahshon Wright. However, the Vikings came back in the fourth quarter and scored 21 straight points.

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Chicago scored a touchdown with 2:02 left, but it wasn’t enough, as the Bears fell 27-24.

The 2025 season came to an end last night, with the Seattle Seahawks beating the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl 60. The odds for Super Bowl 61 have already been announced.

One thing that hasn’t been decided is who will face the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football to open the 2026 season.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Seahawks will either play the Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants or Bears.

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That’s a lot of teams to choose from, but realistically, the NFL will pick either the Bears or the Patriots.

The Chiefs would probably be in the running to play the Seahawks in Week 1, but there was a late-season injury to quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes tore both his ACL and LCL in December, leaving his status for the season opener uncertain.

A Super Bowl rematch with the Patriots would draw a lot of viewers as well. However, the Bears could also make for an exciting game with the defending Super Bowl champs.

Chicago had several fourth-quarter comebacks in the 2025 season and always felt like must-see TV.

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On top of that, the Rams and 49ers are already playing each other in Melbourne, Australia, in Week 1, so that rules them out.

Out of the remaining teams, only the Chargers had a winning record in 2025, so it’s safe to rule them out as well.

The Bears could get another shot at Sam Darnold if the NFL decides to pair them up with the Seahawks. Darnold spent one season with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 and beat the Bears twice that year.

Chicago took Minnesota to overtime in the first meeting, but then lost 30-12 at home in Week 15 of that season. Back then, Matt Eberflus was the head coach.

Now, the Bears have plenty of upward momentum coming into 2026 with Ben Johnson in charge. Here’s hoping the Bears get another chance to see Darnold.