2026 NFL schedule puts Bears in primetime spotlight

• Chicago opens the season on the road against Carolina and hosts rival Green Bay on Christmas Day.
• Other marquee games include a "Thursday Night Football" game on Oct. 22 against the New England Patriots.
• They'll travel to Seattle for a "Monday Night Football" matchup against the defending champion Seahawks on Nov. 2.

The big picture: The Bears have gone from rebuilding project to primetime staple in less than two years under coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams.

What they're saying: "It's definitely fun to play on prime time television, and, you know, play, play in front of millions of people," Bears wideout Rome Odunze tells Axios.

• "It adds fuel to the fire, but at the end of the day, we're just looking to go out there to win football games."

Context: The Bears stunned the league last season, winning the NFC North and a playoff game over Green Bay in Johnson's first year as coach.

• Chicago led the NFL with seven comeback victories.
• Williams emerged as one of the league's breakout stars, regularly landing atop NFL highlight reels with off-script plays and late-game heroics.

Yes, but: Success also brings a tougher path.

• Based on last season's records, the Bears are set to play the league's toughest schedule in 2026-27, with opponents posting a combined .550 winning percentage.
• Eight of Chicago's 17 games will come against playoff teams.
• "We're looking to build on what we did last year with the playoff run and the exciting games," Odunze adds. "If you're not getting better, you're getting worse."

Of note: The NFL scheduled nine regular-season games across four continents and seven countries — the most international games in league history.

• Reality check: The Bears weren't selected for any of them.

The bottom line: The NFL is clearly betting that Caleb Williams and the new-look Bears will continue drawing massive audiences in primetime.