The Chicago Bears were among the league's top teams in the 2025 season, setting the stage for what will be a notable increase in schedule difficulty. This was noted by the league's official X account with the Bears being called out as having the highest strength of schedule. It is important to note here that this is based on last season's results and judged by rosters that have drastically changed over the last year. Still, it is noteworthy that the Bears have what appears to be a difficult road ahead.
Fans shouldn't panic with there being every reason to believe the Bears will adjust and have no problem traversing the difficult schedule. This isn't to undermine the difficult road ahead, but rather pointing out that this remains an incredibly talented roster that hasn't given any reason to believe they aren't capable of beating the league's top teams.
Coming in second in degree of difficulty was the Miami Dolphins, with Chicago's division rival, the Green Bay Packers, tied for third. If there is one area of concern or bad news, it is the fact that the Detroit Lions are ranked as the fifth-easiest schedule when it comes to strength of opponents.
All of this adds up as a reminder that Chicago is getting ready for a season of being the hunted and will no longer catch teams by surprise. While this isn't ideal in some ways, the needed coaching and roster talent is in place for the Bears to continue to be among the league's elite contenders.
Bears Fans Shouldn't be Concerned Over League's Projected Difficult 2026 Schedule
Chicago's young offense should continue to evolve and take a step forward, helping offset some of the difficulty with the upcoming schedule. There is also the fact that these rankings are based on results from the 2025 season, setting up a clear possibility that a number of these teams are deemed as difficult regress and give the Bears a break.
Regardless of whether or not this is the case, Chicago remains in a solid position, having a balanced roster and a team that should be considered among the top NFC contenders no matter the schedule. The Bears have arguably the league's best offensive mind in Ben Johnson and one of the best young quarterbacks in Caleb Williams.
As long as this duo is in place, fans have no reason to fear the schedule and believe they are going to consistently have a chance each week. Double-digit wins and a home playoff game should be the expectation heading into the 2026 season, with the Bears having accomplished this a season ago. Improvement from young players and confidence from the roster are more than enough to help offset a difficult road.
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