The Chicago Bears released their 2026 schedule, featuring several high-profile quarterbacks. After an 11-6 season and winning the NFC North, expectations are high for the Bears in 2026.
Key points
Chicago Bears released their 2026 schedule
Bears finished 11-6 last season
Bears won NFC North for the first time since 2018
Expectations are high for the Bears in 2026
The schedule includes several marquee quarterback matchups
Mentioned in this story
Ben Johnson
Chicago Bears
Ranking the opposing quarterbacks the Bears will face in 2026
The Chicago Bears released their 2026 schedule on Thursday night, and with several big name opponents and marquee matchups throughout the season, there will be several reasons for appointment viewing this season.
Coming off a 11-6 season, where they went from worst to first and won the NFC North for the first time since 2018, the Bears and head coach Ben Johnson will be looking to build off of that success in his second season running the franchise. And despite the most difficult strength of schedule (based on last year's results), expectations are high.
Now that Chicago's schedule is officially set, we're ranking the opposing quarterbacks that the Bears will face this season, starting with the toughest ones on schedule, which include some marquee names.
Week 1: at Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Sept. 13, 1 p.m. ET
Week 2: vs. Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Sept. 20, 1 p.m. ET
Q&A
Who are the top quarterbacks the Bears will face in 2026?
The article ranks the toughest opposing quarterbacks the Bears will encounter in the 2026 season, highlighting several marquee names.
What was the Bears' record in the previous season?
The Bears finished the previous season with an 11-6 record, winning the NFC North for the first time since 2018.
What are the Bears' expectations for the 2026 season?
Expectations are high for the Bears in 2026 as they aim to build on their successful previous season under head coach Ben Johnson.
How difficult is the Bears' 2026 schedule?
The Bears are facing the most difficult strength of schedule based on last year's results, making their upcoming season challenging.
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A former MVP and perennial Super Bowl contender who has yet to reach the mountain top, Josh Allen is always at the top of any team's list. The added spice to this matchup against the Buffalo Bills will be former Bears wide receiver DJ Moore, who will square off against his old team for the first time in Week 15.
Last year's win over the Philadelphia Eagles felt like a launching pad for the Bears last season, so there will certainly be a desire for revenge from Jalen Hurts and co. this season. Leading one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL, Hurts could have a much different receiving core coming into this matchup as well.
The Detroit Lions swept the Bears in their two meetings last year, so head coach Ben Johnson is still looking for his first win over his former team. In Week 2 last season, Jared Goff had his way with the Bears defense, throwing for 334 yards and five touchdowns in the best performance of his career against Chicago.
Last year's Super Bowl champion Sam Darnold will have much more on his shoulders this season (no pun intended) given the massive changes the Seahawks offense went through this offseason. Watching Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III depart for Kansas City in free agency and losing Zach Charbonnet to a torn ACL in the playoffs, Darnold will be called on to carry the heavy lifting of Seattle's offense.
Coming off a Super Bowl loss, Drake Maye will be looking to turn it around and could have new weapons in place if the team does indeed strike a trade for wide receiver AJ Brown. The New England Patriots have invested plenty into the offensive side of the football this offseason, and no matter what storylines are taking the spotlight off the field, Maye is the unquestioned leader of this team and could provide one of the most intriguing matchups of the year.
Trevor Lawrence is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league, but the weapons around him have also dropped this offseason. Yes, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be led by Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington, but after losing running back Travis Etienne, there is more on the plate of their quarterback, similar to Darnold in Seattle. Second-year standout Travis Hunter may see more time on the defensive side of the football, taking away another weapon, but Lawrence's ability as a dual-threat could really give the Bears defense some fits.
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Dillon Thieneman in first round (No. 25)
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Logan Jones
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Sam Roush
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Zavion Thomas
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select CB Malik Muhammad
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Keyshaun Elliott
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Jordan van den Berg
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Bears 2026 NFL Draft tracker: See all of Chicago's picks
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Dillon Thieneman in first round (No. 25)
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Bears 2026 NFL Draft tracker: See all of Chicago's picks
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Dillon Thieneman in first round (No. 25)
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Breakdown and analysis of new Bears rookie Logan Jones
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Logan Jones
3 / 7
Breakdown and analysis of new Bears rookie Sam Roush
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Sam Roush
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Breakdown and analysis of new Bears rookie Zavion Thomas
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Zavion Thomas
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Breakdown and analysis of new Bears rookie Malik Muhammad
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select CB Malik Muhammad
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Breakdown and analysis of new Bears rookie Keyshaun Elliott
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Keyshaun Elliott
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Breakdown and analysis of new Bears rookie Jordan van den Berg
One of the toughest quarterbacks in the NFL, Baker Mayfield will come into the 2026 season without future Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Evans. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have continued to be a playoff threat each year with Mayfield running the offense, and their passing game should still be considered a real threat with the presence of second-year receiver Emeka Egbuka.
One of the most surprising teams in the 2025 season, Bryce Young led the Carolina Panthers to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Young has several playmakers and big-bodied wide receivers who could present matchup challenges for the Bears defense. This Week 1 matchup will be a good tone setter for each team's path in the 2026 season, especially considering the ties Young has to the Bears franchise after Chicago's trade with Carolina in 2023, which landed them Caleb Williams and much more, while Young landed with Carolina.
In terms of interest, rivalry, and importance, there will be no bigger matchups in the 2026 season for Chicago than the Green Bay Packers. After going 2-1 against the Packers last year, knocking them out of the playoffs, and tension between both head coaches, these games can't be missed. Given how Caleb Williams played against Green Bay, there will be some pressure on Jordan Love to deliver against Chicago's defense, especially after he was injured in their late regular-season matchup.
If Kyler Murray gets the nod for the Minnesota Vikings, this is his slot, if J.J. McCarthy gets the starting job, he'd be much lower on this list. The potential of what Murray could do under head coach Kevin O'Connell is unknown, but the optimism is there for Minnesota fans. The Vikings added wide receiver Jauan Jennings in the offseason, lining him up with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, creating matchup problems for any defense.
One of the most underrated quarterbacks coming into this season, Tyler Shough may find himself higher on the list by the time these two teams meet in Week 11, coming off of Chicago's bye week. The New Orleans Saints have invested plenty into their offense, adding several playmakers at skill positions in both free agency in the draft, putting the utmost faith in their second-year signal caller this year.
Malik Willis gave the Bears some fits when he came in to replace Jordan Love in the 2025 season, but he will not have the level of talent that he did in Green Bay. Now QB1 for the Miami Dolphins, Willis will be part of a full rebuild, without a true WR1, who will likely be Malik Washington to start the season, and Chicago's defense should be eager to get this Week 14 matchup on the books.
Geno Smith's decline was fast and furious in 2025, when he departed the Seattle Seahawks for the Las Vegas Raiders and lost the starting job before the season was fully over. Since then, Seattle won a Super Bowl with Sam Darnold, the Raiders drafted Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick, and Smith returned to the New York Jets. There are playmakers on the Jets offense, but can Smith be trusted to do real damage with them? Not coming off of what he showed last season.
There is no debating on whether this is the spot for either Michael Penix or Tua Tagovailoa as the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. Very similar to the Jets, the Falcons have plenty of offensive weapons, but the quarterback play can not be trusted, in the slightest. No matter who is under center, whether it be the young Penix returning off of a knee injury, or Tagovailo who fizzled out in Miami, this is yet another big circle on the Bears schedule.
