Chicago Bears to Play 7 Standalone Games in 2026

CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 10: Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears with DJ Moore #2 of the Chicago Bears and Colston Loveland #84 of the Chicago Bears visit on set of the Wildcard on Prime post game show after an NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on January 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Even in a down season, the Chicago Bears are a ratings winner, as their primetime games regularly score big for the NFL's broadcast partners.

So imagine how happy the League must be with the Bears coming off an 11-6 regular season, and being part of two of the most exciting postseason games of all time.

The Bears have seven standalone games this season (games where they are the only game on), and they are one of just five teams to have that many.

Four of those seven games are at Soldier Field: Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football, Week 7 against the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football, Week 9 against the Tampa Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football, and Week 16 on Christmas Day against the Green Bay Packers.

Chicago's standalone road games are Week 8against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football, Week 12 on Thanksgiving against the Detroit Lions, and Week 15 for a special Saturday night game against the Buffalo Bills.

Besides the standalone games, the Bears also have two 3:25 Sunday starts, which generally have a larger portion of the nation able to tune in.

The 2026 schedule also has the Bears appearing on every broadcast partner, with their usual games on FOX and CBS, as well as NBC, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix.

This is the first time in franchise history the Bears will play a game on both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and with the Super Bowl being played on February 14 (Valentine's Day), they could hit the holiday trifecta.

Are you excited for the Bears to have such a big audience this season?