Dear NFL schedule makers,
We know at this point you’re pretty deep into piecing together the 272-game roadmap for the 2025 regular season. But that shouldn’t mean we can’t offer suggestions ahead of Wednesday’s official schedule release. As it applies to the Chicago Bears specifically, we see a golden opportunity to make the schedule really sing, to sequence it in a way that creates maximum excitement, intrigue and theater.
The Bears have done a lot this offseason — from their coaching search to free agency and the draft — to make improvements that seemingly position them as playoff contenders this season. But their list of opponents also looks pretty formidable.
Ten of their 17 games will come against teams that made the playoffs last season. And for a team that matched a franchise record for an in-season losing streak with 10 consecutive defeats last year, the climb back toward prominence is steep and treacherous.
All of this sets up for an intriguing season in Chicago. It’s our goal here to make the journey more compelling. So with that in mind, we’re offering, free of charge, this suggested itinerary.
As we’ve done in the past, we’re putting this out there not as a prediction but as a wish list.
You’re welcome.
Week 1: Bears at Eagles in NFL Kickoff (Thursday, Sept. 4)
We already know the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will be in this slot, hosting the NFL Kickoff festivities at Lincoln Financial Field. So which of their home opponents has the biggest opening-night appeal? The Washington Commanders in a rematch of January’s NFC championship game? Perhaps. The Detroit Lions or Los Angeles Rams? Maybe.
But our suggestion is to give the Bears a measuring-stick game right away. Give Ben Johnson a chance to match wits against Vic Fangio. Give the perennial engineers of the offseason hype train a look at the Lombardi Trophy winners.
Week 2: Packers at Bears (Sept. 14)
At his introductory news conference in January, Johnson bit the pin off the grenade and hurled this grinning jibe northward: “To be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.” That was Johnson’s obligatory shot at the rival Green Bay Packers, against whom he had a 5-1 record during three seasons as the Lions offensive coordinator.
LaFleur — who’s 11-1 against the Bears — has punched back multiple times since, including on “The Pat McAfee Show” last month. In discussing the strength of the NFC North, LaFleur said: “Chicago has done a nice job of adding to their roster. And you get a good football coach — as he said himself — in Ben Johnson.”
Eyeball emoji. We see where this is headed — and we love it. Why wait any longer than necessary to let these teams and their coaches spar?
Week 3: Giants at Bears (Sept. 21)
The “Hard Knocks” Bowl? Get the HBO crew back to Chicago and let’s dig deeper into the progress of these two franchises. The New York Giants were on the offseason version of “Hard Knocks” in the summer of 2024. The Bears followed them into the spotlight for training camp a few weeks later. The teams then combined to lose 26 games last season.
Week 4: Bears at Bengals (Sept. 28)
The Bears’ last regular-season visit to Cincinnati brought us Mitch Trubisky as a rookie versus Andy Dalton. The Bears rolled that afternoon to a 33-7 win that seemed to forecast a bright future for Trubisky. This time it should be Caleb Williams versus Joe Burrow, a battle of No. 1 picks at different stages of their journeys.
Week 5: Lions at Bears (Oct. 5)
Sharpie this into the 3:25 p.m. spotlight slot on Fox. Bring in Tom Brady and his crew for the broadcast. With Johnson and Dan Campbell at the controls, give the punters the day off. Then let’s see what transpires. Hopefully there’s a blast of trickery from Johnson for his former team. At the very least, it would provide the Bears a huge NFC North test at the start of October.
Week 6: Saints at Bears (Oct. 12)
On paper, this is possibly the least intriguing game on the Bears schedule, which is why we’re sandwiching it between two intense division games. Still, it’s a reunion for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who has spent 15 seasons coaching in New Orleans. (He was dismissed as Saints head coach in November.) This matchup also will give the Bears a look at rookie offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., whom the Saints picked at No. 9, one slot before the Bears grabbed tight end Colston Loveland.
Week 7: Bears at Vikings (Oct. 19)
One more division test before the bye. And with cornerback Jaylon Johnson volunteering to travel with opponents’ No. 1 receivers, clip him to the hip of superstar Justin Jefferson and test his mettle. In two meetings with the Bears last season, Jefferson totaled nine catches for 100 yards. The Bears don’t usually make their trip to the Twin Cities until after Thanksgiving. This is a nudge toward an earlier visit.
Week 8: Open date
The midseason reboot occurs the weekend before Halloween. It offers a chance for the Bears to reset before a scary five-game stretch in November.
Week 9: Bears at Commanders on ‘Sunday Night Football’ (Nov. 2)
Caleb Williams versus Jayden Daniels, Part II. Tyrique Stevenson’s return to Northwest Stadium. Ben Johnson’s revenge game against Dan Quinn. Yep, this is made for the bright lights and big stage. Most of Chicago will be waiting all day for Sunday night.
Week 10: Steelers at Bears (Nov. 9)
It seems only fair that the Bears get one last crack at Aaron Rodgers, right? At Soldier Field no less. So hopefully the 41-year-old quarterback emerges from the offseason darkness soon, signs with the Pittsburgh Steelers and stops through Chicago for a visit with the Bears fans he both torments and admires.
Week 11: Bears at Raiders on ‘Monday Night Football’ (Nov. 17)
First off, making this a Monday night affair gives traveling Bears fans the opportunity to really do Vegas right on the weekend leading up to the game. After kickoff, the Bears defense will get an up-close look at show-stopping running back Ashton Jeanty, one of the league’s most talented and intriguing rookies and a prospect the Bears were very interested in during last month’s draft.
Week 12: Bears at Ravens (Nov. 23)
Lamar Jackson was sidelined with an illness when the Baltimore Ravens visited Soldier Field four years ago, so this sets up to be his first career game against the Bears. Jackson is the engine of an explosive offense that also features bruising running back Derrick Henry, dynamic wide receiver Zay Flowers and accomplished tight end Mark Andrews. The play caller for that attack: Todd Monken, one of 17 candidates who interviewed for the Bears head coaching job this winter.
Week 13: Vikings at Bears on Thanksgiving night (Nov. 27)
A selfish plea from longtime Bears reporters who would rather not eat another Thanksgiving dinner at 11 a.m. in the Ford Field press box. Let us carve the turkey at home with our families in the afternoon. Then we’ll be happy to head off to work in the evening for a holiday NFC North clash under the Soldier Field lights. Who says no? (We’d also accept this being pushed back 19 hours into Amazon’s Black Friday slot.)
Week 14: Cowboys at Bears (Dec. 7)
Matt Eberflus returns to Chicago — as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator. And he does so one year and eight days after his awkward exit from Halas Hall. Will Flus have the answers to stymie Williams? Or will Johnson be cooking up some gadgetry to confuse Eberflus’ defense?
Week 15: Bears at Packers (Dec. 14)
Williams is 1-0 at Lambeau Field and got there with a thrilling 47-yard drive to set up Cairo Santos’ walk-off field goal in Week 18 in January. That victory was a way-too-little, way-too-late triumph for the 2024 Bears. But for Williams and the 2025 Bears, it was a confidence builder. A losing-streak killer. A chance to change directions — both in the rivalry with the Packers and on a much larger scale. Hopefully this season’s visit to Green Bay will have much more at stake.
Week 16: Bears at 49ers (Dec. 21)
The Bears’ December road loss to the San Francisco 49ers last season was among their most lackluster and embarrassing performances within a very lackluster and embarrassing season. The Bears were outgained 319-4 in the first half and fell behind 24-0. This year’s trip to Santa Clara, Calif., has to be more competitive.
Week 17: Browns at Bears (Saturday, Dec. 27)
No team in the league has a more bizarre quarterback situation than the Cleveland Browns, who have prepared for life without Deshaun Watson by acquiring four new quarterbacks over the past eight weeks.
That’s 40-year-old Joe Flacco, signed to a one-year, $4 million deal. That’s former Steelers castoff Kenny Pickett, acquired via trade from the Eagles. That’s third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel. And, yes, that’s Shedeur Sanders, who was all the talk of last month’s draft after he slid into Round 5 and now must find his way through a cluttered Cleveland quarterback conundrum.
Who gets the start against the Bears in this Saturday affair after Christmas? Spin the wheel.
Week 18: Bears at Lions (Jan. 4)
Wait … timeout! We’re waiting until after New Year’s Day to send Ben Johnson back to Detroit? Timeout! The Bears’ regular-season finale is coming against the team favored to repeat as NFC North champion? Timeout! Seriously. Timeout. Timeout. Timeout.
Kidding aside, there should be few objections about this closing game — and maybe even a possibility it generates prime-time appeal with enough on the line.
And for the record, all those timeouts we just took were simply for muscle memory, subtle reminders to the Bears before their return to Ford Field.