Bears Remain on Whittled-Down List of Teams That Could Play Seahawks on Opening Night

Chicago Bears among five realistic possibilities to face Seattle Seahawks in 2026 NFL season opener

Apr. 5, 2026 at 12:13pm by Ben Kaplan

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The Chicago Bears are one of five teams remaining on the list of potential opponents for the Seattle Seahawks on opening night of the 2026 NFL season. Other teams in the running include the New England Patriots, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Chargers.

Why it matters

The opening night matchup is a highly coveted primetime slot that features the defending Super Bowl champions. Being selected to play in this game would provide significant exposure and a marquee season-opening matchup for the chosen team and its fanbase.

The details

The Seahawks' home opponents for the 2026 season include the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots. However, the Chiefs and Cardinals have been ruled out due to uncertainty around Patrick Mahomes' injury status and the Rams and 49ers being locked into a Week 1 game in Australia. That leaves the Bears, Patriots, Giants, Cowboys, and Chargers as the five remaining realistic possibilities to face the Seahawks on opening night.

  • The 2026 NFL season will kick off on Wednesday, September 9.
  • The Seahawks' opening night matchup will be played on that date.

The players

Ben Johnson

Head coach of the Chicago Bears.

Patrick Mahomes

Quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs.

John Harbaugh

New head coach of the New York Giants.

Jaxson Dart

Exciting young quarterback for the New York Giants.

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What they’re saying

“Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said at the NFL's annual meeting that his team won't be in that mix because of uncertainty whether quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be back from a torn ACL at that point.”

— Mike Reiss, ESPN reporter

“And with the Rams and 49ers locked into a Week 1 game in Melbourne, Australia, that leaves only the Patriots, Cardinals, Cowboys, Giants, Chargers and Bears.”

— Mike Reiss, ESPN reporter

“Hard to imagine the league would put the rebuilding Cardinals in that spot, which further narrows the field.”

— Mike Reiss, ESPN reporter

What’s next

The NFL is expected to announce the full 2026 regular season schedule, including the opening night matchup, in the coming months.

The takeaway

The Bears' inclusion on the short list of potential opening night opponents for the defending champion Seahawks highlights the team's growing national profile and the excitement surrounding their young core of talent. A primetime season opener would provide a major boost in visibility and prestige for the Bears franchise.