For many Chicago Bears fans, the start of next season couldn’t come soon enough after the Bears lost in the NFC divisional round in January.

There’s plenty to be excited about. The Bears took a big step during head coach Ben Johnson’s first season and quarterback Caleb Williams showed off his star potential. Bears general manager Ryan Poles has been busy during the offseason trying to supplement to his playoff roster so the team can take another big step this fall.

There’s still minicamp and training camp ahead in the coming months. But fans are eager to know when they’ll get a chance to watch the Bears take that next step this fall. Although the Bears’ schedule isn’t out yet, there are some details we do know already.

Here’s what we know about the Bears’ 2026 schedule.

When will the schedule be announced?

The answer to this question is still up in the air.

Over the past five to six years, the NFL has traditionally released its upcoming schedule during the second week of May. Some TV networks usually announce some of their marquee games during Monday and Tuesday. The international schedule has also been announced during that time. But the NFL usually announces the full schedule during a primetime show on the Wednesday of that week.

The NFL hasn’t announced a plan yet for when the schedule will be released. It made last year’s announcement during the draft. There’s a chance this year’s announcement could be backed up by a week as the NFL continues to work out which network will get which big-stake game.

Many teams have announced their own schedules by doing creative videos. The Tennessee Titans made a viral video in 2023 when they asked random people on the streets of Nashville to identify NFL logos with hilarious results. The Chargers released a two-minute-long anime video in 2022.

Chicago announced last year’s schedule with the help of actor Lamore Morris.

Who and where will the Bears play?

We might not know when the Bears will pay yet, but we know who and where they’ll play.

The Bears knew who their 2026 opponents will be at the end of the 2025 season based on the NFL schedule formula. They’ll play each NFC North rival, the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, both at Soldier Field and on the road. Chicago will also play all the teams in the NFC South and AFC East divisions on top of the winners of the NFC East, NFC West and AFC South after they won the NFC North last season.

After playing eight home games this season, Chicago will have nine at Soldier Field and eight on the road next year.

Here’s a look at their 2026 opponents:

• Home: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Buccaneers, Eagles, Jaguars, Jets, Patriots, Saints
• Away: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Bills, Dolphins, Falcons, Panthers, Seahawks

Will the Bears travel abroad?

Although it hasn’t been announced that the Bears will play internationally next season, it doesn’t mean it won’t happen.

The NFL will host a record nine international games next season. Two of the Bears’ road opponents in 2026, the Falcons and the Lions, will be hosting international games.

Atlanta will host an international game in Madrid, a game the Bears have been linked to for most of the offseason. The Miami Dolphins hosted the first game in Spain last season and are one of three teams with global marketing rights to Spain, along with the Bears and the Kansas City Chiefs. Both the Bears and the Chiefs are on the Falcons’ home schedule, so both would likely be in play for the spot.

Detroit will also host an international game in Munich. The Lions have rights in Germany, so their opponent wouldn’t need to fit that category. But the league, and potentially the teams, would need to decide whether they want to play an NFC North game internationally. The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will play an NFC West game in Melbourne at the start of the season.

Bears owner and chairman George McCaskey said at the NFL’s annual meetings at the end of March that the league hadn’t approached the Bears about playing internationally next season.

How difficult will the Bears’ schedule be?

Chicago will have a tough schedule after winning the NFC North last year.

The Bears’ 2026 opponents held a 123-106-1 last season, the best in the NFL. Five opponents won at least 11 games last season and eight finished last season with a winning record.

Those records should be taken with a grain of salt. A lot can change in a year. Last year’s success doesn’t mean a team will be good again this season. But this year’s opponents have a pedigree of success.

Seven of last year’s opponents made the playoffs in 2025 — Detroit, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, New England, Buffalo, Carolina and Seattle. Four of the Bears’ opponents, the Lions, Eagles, Packers and Bills, have made the playoffs for three straight seasons.

Chicago will also play both teams who competed in the Super Bowl. They’ll travel to Seattle, who won, and host New England.