If you somehow haven’t seen this yet …

Well, there’s no way around it.

If the Bears are to reach the playoffs in back to back seasons for the first time since 2005-06, they’ll have to beat a lot of good football teams.

We already knew this, of course, but there’s something about seeing the actual order of the gauntlet that makes it more real. The sequencing, the late nights, the short weeks … it all seems like a bigger challenge when made official.

But at least the Bears now know what they’re up against.

And they have Ben Johnson to help figure the best way through it.

A few takeaways …

My favorite game is … October 11 at Green Bay. Last year’s two games in three weeks in December was fun, but this Week 5 matchup will be a great test after the first month of the season. It’s also not a prime time game at Lambeau, which is always a plus.

My least favorite is … October 22 against New England. Thursday Night Football is always unnatural. It’ll be even more so with the Bears coming off two straight road games (Green Bay and Atlanta).

The toughest stretch will be … at Buffalo/Packers/Lions in late December/early January. The Patriots/at Seahawks/Buccaneers run is no picnic either, but at least there’s 11 days between New England and Seattle.

The three gimme games are … NY Jets, at Falcons, Saints.

I’m most pleased by … the Bears getting a bye on Sunday, Nov. 15, the same day the Lions will be in Munich playing the Patriots. The two teams will meet on Thanksgiving 11 days later with the Bears playing a much easier opponent (New Orleans) than the Lions (Tampa Bay) in the space between.

I’m most annoyed by … the Packers being at home for four of the last five games of the season.

The biggest trap game is … December 13 at Miami. Easy to overlook this team with what comes after it and it wouldn’t be a good Bears season without the Dolphins dealing them a loss (1985, 2006, 2018).

I don’t understand … how you can play five primetime games and only appear on Sunday Night Football once? While the other networks are gaining ground on NBC’s presentation, it’s still my favorite “show” … and time slot.

My BIG takeaway is … despite the strength of the teams, it’s a schedule the Bears can navigate. While there are short weeks all over the place, there’s nothing inherently unfair. Three straight home games in early fall allows you to build a cushion and the rest of the schedule is a nice distribution of home and away. Even the division games are laid out nicely with a few early tests and then a control-your-own-destiny run at the end. There are plenty of opportunities for the Bears to show they’re the team we want them to be, which is all you can ask for.

What’s your takeaway on the 2026 schedule? Hit reply on this email to tell me and I’ll print some of the best in Monday’s newsletter.

Well done, Bears social team 👏

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