CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bears' path toward an NFC North title and a playoff berth gets harder in 2026.
When the NFL releases its full schedule Thursday evening, Chicago's 17-game slate will reflect the hardest strength of schedule based on their opponents' 2025 records. The Bears' foes had a.550 winning percentage last season.
Eight of Chicago's 17 games will be against playoff teams: Buffalo, Carolina, Green Bay (home and away), Jacksonville, New England, Philadelphia and Seattle. Five of those opponents won at least 11 games last season. The Super Bowl champion Seahawks will host the Bears, while the runner-up Patriots visit Soldier Field. Seattle and New England boasted 14-3 records last season on their run to Super Bowl LX.
How teams have fared with toughest sked
The Bears will try to become the first team with the toughest schedule to win a playoff game since the 2016 Falcons.
History hasn't been kind to teams in the Bears' position. The 2016 Falcons are the last team to win a playoff game the season in which they started with the league's toughest strength of schedule. Only three of the past 10 teams to navigate the NFL's hardest schedule made it to the postseason, including the 2023 Eagles and 2021 Steelers. Both lost in the wild-card round.
The Bears had the second-hardest strength of schedule last season and the worst odds to win the NFC North (+425), but they parlayed that into an 11-win season. They did so by winning seven one-score contests and pulling off late-game rallies. Quarterback Caleb Williams led the Bears to eight fourth-quarter comebacks, including the playoffs, tying the 2016 Lions and 2022 Vikings for the most in NFL history.
"We got a monumental task at hand, because this division only got better so far this offseason," coach Ben Johnson said. "It doesn't get any easier. It's going to continue to get harder.
"They're going to feel that pressure from the coaching staff so that when we get to these games in the fall, we're going to be ready for it."
Last season sparked new expectations. DraftKings Sportsbook has Chicago's over/under set at 9.5 wins. One season after winning a division title, the Bears have the third-best odds (+320) to repeat, behind the Lions (+185) and Packers (+195). Detroit has the sixth-easiest strength of schedule (.467).