NEW YORK (WGN) — It’s now official, the Chicago Bears’ schedule for the 2025 season is set.
While the NFL was set to have a league-wide schedule release event Wednesday night, apparently no one told NFL insiders, TV networks, or streaming services they were supposed to keep that info under lock and key until the reveals were aired.
Seemingly, 90% of the NFL’s 2025 slate was leaked day by day, leading up to the “reveal,” which included almost the entire Bears schedule.
With the 7 p.m. CT release time having come and gone, here’s a look at Chicago’s schedule next season. (For those of you interested in the Bears’ schedule release video, that can be found here)
The Bears’ 2025 Schedule
Week 1 – Vs. Minnesota Vikings (Monday Night Football)
A year after a disastrous 5-12 season that featured a 10-game losing streak that fueled the firing of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and later head coach Matt Eberflus, the Ben Johnson era will officially kick off against the Minnesota Vikings on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
The Bears own a 3-2 advantage in the five season-opening meetings between the two NFC North Division foes. Chicago own eight wins all-time against Minnesota on Monday Night Football, the club’s most against any single opponent in the Monday night primetime slot. Chicago also owns a 31-14-1 mark in season-opening games at home, posting a 57-43-5 record in the first game of the season.
When it comes to just last season though, the Bears lost both matchups against the Vikings.
At home against the Vikings on Nov. 24, 2024, the Bears scored 11 points over the final 29 seconds of the game to tie things up at 27-27 at the end of regulation. Their offense fell apart in overtime, and Minnesota snuck away with a 30-27 win behind the leg of John Parker Romo, who hit a 29-yard chip shot to send the Vikings to victory.
Week 2 – At Detroit Lions
Speaking of Johnson, he won’t have to wait long to make his return to Ford Field.
The Week 2 matchup marks the first such occurrence of consecutive divisional bouts within the first two weeks of the regular season since 2006. The Bears lead the all-time series over Detroit, 105-80-5
And just like when they played the Vikings, Chicago dropped both of their matchups against the Lions in 2024 as well.
The last time the Bears traveled to Detroit was on Thanksgiving in 2024, when then-head coach Matt Eberflus infamously fumbled his late-game clock management and cost Chicago the opportunity to tie or win the game in what ended up being a 23-20 loss.
Week 3 – Vs. Dallas Cowboys (3:25 p.m. on FOX)
Chicago will host the Dallas Cowboys for the first time since 2019, a series in which the Bears own a 7-6 advantage all-time in regular-season meetings at home. The Bears have won two out of their last three home meetings against the Cowboys, averaging 34.7 points over the previous three home bouts between the two clubs.
Week 4 – At Las Vegas Raiders (3:25 p.m. on CBS)
Chicago will then travel to Las Vegas for the second time in club history, taking on the Raiders in Week 4. Chicago owns a 9-8 (.529) all-time advantage over the Raiders, which includes victories in three out of the last four matchups, and five out of the previous seven meetings between the two clubs.
Week 5 – BYE
After four games, the Bears will have their annual bye week, falling in Week 5 in 2025. Chicago’s bye registers as the fifth Week 5 bye week since the format was instituted in 1990, and the first occurrence of a Week 5 bye for the Bears since 2018.
Week 6 – At Washington Commanders (Monday Night Football)
The Bears second Monday Night Football game of 2025 comes against the team that sent them into a tailspin around the same time last year.
Heading in Week 8 last season, the Bears were 4-2 and looking to carry momentum into a mid-season playoff push when they traveled to play the 5-2 Commanders at Northwest Stadium.
Instead, a Caleb Williams-led fourth-quarter comeback was put on ice, and the NFL play of the year unfolded. Jayden Daniels connected with Noah Brown on a deflected Hail Mary pass as time expired, and Washington walked away with a stunning 18-15 victory that kicked off Chicago’s second 10-game losing streak of the last three years.
Week 7 – Vs. New Orleans Saints
The Week 7 matchup against the Saints will mark the first time the Bears host New Orleans since 2020, a renewal of a conference rivalry that featured the Bears defeating the Saints in the 2006 NFC Championship Game.
Week 8 – At Baltimore Ravens
The last time the Bears played the Baltimore Ravens was Nov. 21, 2021, when Matt Nagy was head coach, and Andy Dalton was their starting quarterback.
Chicago lost the game, 16-13, after Devonta Freeman punched in a 3-yard run with 22 seconds left for the Ravens.
Week 9 – At Cincinnati Bengals
The last season the Bears played Baltimore was also the last season they played the Cincinnati Bengals.
Chicago faced off against the Bengals on Sept. 19, 2021, at Soldier Field. The Bears won the matchup, 20-17, thanks in part to a 53-yard interception return from Roquan Smith.
Week 10 – Vs. New York Giants
Chicago last played the New York Giants in 2022.
As most Bears fans remember, 2022 wasn’t a fun year. Chicago finished 3-14, which included a 20-12 loss to the G-Men.
Kicker Michael Badgley hit four field goals, but New York quarterback Daniel Jones punched in a pair of TD runs to help the Giants send the Bears to defeat.
The good news is that Chicago has won four straight games against New York at Soldier Field.
Week 11 – At Minnesota Vikings
After Week 10, the Bears return to Minnesota, taking on the Vikings in Week 11, marking the 130th all-time meeting between the two franchises (postseason included).
Week 12 – Vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Chicago will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12, where the Bears own a 12-1 (.923) all-time advantage at home against the Steelers. The Bears have won each of the last two home bouts against Pittsburgh and three of their last four overall meetings against the Steelers.
Week 13 – at Philadelphia Eagles (Black Friday – 2 p.m. on PRIME)
Chicago owns a 29-17-1 (.628) all-time advantage over the Eagles (postseason included), with a 13-9-1 (.567) mark in road matchups against Philadelphia.
The Black Friday meeting will mark Chicago’s first regular-season game played on a Friday since 1966, and just the fourth Friday regular-season game in franchise history.
*Week 14 – At Green Bay Packers
The Bears defeated the Packers in the 2024 season finale at Lambeau Field, the last meeting between the two clubs.
*Week 15 – Vs. Cleveland Browns
In Week 15, the Bears will host the Cleveland Browns. The Bears have won four-straight home games against the Browns, dating back to 1986.
Week 16 – Vs. Green Bay Packers
Chicago will host Green Bay in Week 16, marking the club’s first scheduled regular-season Saturday bout since 2022. The Week 16 contest will mark the 210th all-time regular season meeting between the two clubs.
The Bears will play the Packers twice in two weeks for the first time since 1998 and twice in 13 days for the first time since 1985
Week 17 – At San Francisco 49ers (Sunday Night Football)
Chicago will look to put last year’s visit to San Francisco in the rearview mirror and exact some revenge on the 49ers.
San Francisco thumped the Bears to the tune of a 38-13 loss. Borck Purdy threw for 325 yards and 2 TD passes to JuJuan Jennings, while Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor combined for 103 yards on the ground and 3 TD runs.
Week 18 – Vs. Detroit Lions
The last time the Lions came to Soldier Field, Ben Johnson put on an offensive masterclass, highlighted by Jared Goff’s “stumblebum” TD pass to Sam LaPorta in a 34-17 rout of the Bears.
This is also the first time Chicago has ended the season against Detroit at home since 2016. The Bears have culminated the regular season against the Lions on nine occasions since at least 1962, with Chicago winning seven of the nine matchups.
The Bears are 14-5 in season finales versus Detroit, with three of those wins occurring in 1946, 1963 and 1985, Chicago’s last three championship seasons.