The full schedule for the 2026 NFL season was officially revealed on Thursday night, and fans have quickly begun to identify the top matchups of the year, while also predicting how many games each team will win and lose. The schedule is particularly noteworthy in the NFC North, as all four teams appear to be capable of making the playoffs next season. However, it’s clear things are going to be more difficult for the Chicago Bears.
Last year, the Bears emerged from seemingly out of nowhere to win the division. While that sort of progress is encouraging, that also means that Chicago is going to face a more difficult slate of opponents in 2026. In fact, it is actually set to face the hardest schedule in the league next season, and with the full schedule out now, ESPN has surprisingly predicted that the team will miss the playoffs just one year after its breakout campaign.
ESPN Doesn’t Think Bears Will Make Playoffs in 2026
First-year head coach Ben Johnson teamed up with star quarterback Caleb Williams to improbably lead the Bears to the top of one of the most difficult divisions in the NFL. Their overtime defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs was disappointing, but there was no arguing that this team had announced itself to the league.
The way scheduling works in the NFL, though, means that life is about to get more difficult for Chicago in 2026. After winning its division last year, that means the Bears are going to face more of the top teams in the league. Add in the fact that they still have to play each of the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, and Minnesota Vikings twice, and that’s a pretty daunting slate of games.
The schedule release only further confirmed that train of thought, as Chicago will face each of its division rivals, plus the Buffalo Bills, over the final month of the season. So while expectations have been raised for the Bears, Dan Graziano of ESPN predicted that the team will miss out on the postseason just one year after their unexpected rise to the top of the NFC North.
“The last team to win a playoff game after entering the season with the hardest schedule was the 2016 Falcons,” Graziano wrote. “Over the past 10 seasons, seven of those teams missed the playoffs entirely. Plus, the Bears won an NFC North division in which literally every other team had a winning record last season … The division and the schedule look tough enough that it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Bears take a step back — albeit a temporary one — in 2026.”
Bears Face Challenging Schedule in 2026
GettyBears Head Coach Ben Johnson
Prosperity comes at a price in the NFL, and the Bears may be set to find that out the hard way in 2026. The team has worked hard to ensure its roster stays in tip-top shape, but it has lost several key pieces of the 2025 team over the offseason, which could make its quest to return to the playoffs next season even more difficult.
Chicago exceeded expectations last year, but finding a way to do so again in 2026 could end up being an impossible task. The Bears are going to be playing tougher opponents, which is going to make picking up 11 wins like they did last year much more difficult. It may be a stretch to suggest they will miss the playoffs entirely, but it’s fair to say that expectations need to be tempered for this group heading into the new campaign.
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