The Chicago Bears may have the toughest slate of opponents in the NFL this season, but a couple of other features of their schedule should help to level the playing field to a meaningful degree.
Chicago’s 17 opponents in 2026-27 posted a combined win percentage of .550 last season. However, not only do the Bears travel fewer miles (10,676) than only the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers over the course of the upcoming campaign, per FOX Sports, but Bears players will be far more rested heading into their games than their opponents.
“They have the best rest edge in the league this year,” said Craig Horlbeck of “The Ringer Fantasy Football Show” on Wednesday, September 9, citing research from Warren Sharp. “[Chicago has] 15 extra days of rest [over] their opponents.”
Bears’ Defense Set Up to Struggle in 2026
More rest and less travel should help the Bears as much as the fact that the defenses inside the NFC North Division are somewhat suspect, with the likely exception of the Minnesota Vikings.
Chicago may have the least successful defense of them all when it’s said and done, as the Bears are battling serious injury concerns to safety Coby Bryant and nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon, both of whom start Week 1 in Carolina if they weren’t each sidelined with health issues.
The Bears also chose not to aggressively pursue upgrades to a defensive line that allowed 5.0 yards per rush in 2025, which was near the very bottom of the league, and was also one of the least effective pass rush outfits in the NFL.
Chicago lived off turnovers, creating more than any other team last season and finishing the campaign with the best turnover margin. All of that renders the Bears’ defense a prime candidate for regression in 2026, which likely means worse results.
Caleb Williams, Offense Must Carry Bears
Consequently, the Bears are probably going to need to win their fair share of shootouts this year to remain relevant deep into the season.
Thus, questionable defenses in Detroit and Green Bay (at least until Micah Parsons comes back and proves he’s healthy) equate to good news for quarterback Caleb Williams and the Chicago offense.
“Williams was at his best during a league-high six fourth-quarter comebacks last season, and one playoff team said they were ‘scared s—less’ to possibly draw the Bears due to his late-game heroics,” Jeff Howe of The Athletic wrote Wednesday. “But there’s also a consistent opinion around the NFL that Williams must be more consistent on schedule to really elevate his game. … If he can close that gap, he’ll quickly become one of the league’s best.”
Meanwhile, the Vikings must grapple with a new starting quarterback in Kyler Murray this season. Murray has a big arm and athleticism that render him an escapable player with explosive-play potential.
That said, he is undersized and injury prone, both of which could play into Chicago’s hands as the Bears attempt to defend their division title from one year ago.
Bears Gifted Massive Advantage Heading Into Regular Season