The Chicago Bears are coming off a trip to the NFC Divisional Round and a very promising year-one under Ben Johnson.
Now, heading into year two and year three with Caleb Williams, the new-look offense has a ton of upside that has Super Bowl contention within range.
And as ESPN's Courtney Cronin highlighted, there is a good opportunity to begin the 2026 season off with a winning record thanks to their scheduled opening to the season.
"Look for the Bears to be 3-1 by the time they face the Packers in Week 5..." Cronin writes. "... Three of the Bears' first four games will be at home, including Week 4 vs. the Jets."
That start to the 2026 season, following the recent NFL Schedule release, is one to be excited about. But, not simply due to how the team could go 3-1, but rather how it's a perfect start to the season for the offense.
Why Bears' 2026 schedule is perfect for offense to gel
Chicago parted with DJ Moore over the offseason in a trade with the Buffalo Bills, and, for the most part, didn't make any other grand changes.
Williams is still the quarterback, running backs D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai are back, and Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet are still at tight end.
The big change is Moore's absence, leaving Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III to lead the WR room. And with this slightly new-look offense under Johnson, the start to the season is a perfect opportunity to get things going offensively.
They begin the year against the Carolina Panthers, a team that did revamp their defense in a big way, but was one of the worst units in the NFL last year.
They then face the Minnesota Vikings, a team with a good defense, but one that just lost Harrison Smith and Jonathan Greenard in one offseason.
MORE: Bears' Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland face exciting question after DJ Moore trade
Week 3 is against the Philadelphia Eagles, a tough matchup, but after their success in 2025, this Bears offense should have confidence.
And finally, in Week 4, the Bears get the New York Jets, a defense that failed to record a single interception in 2025, and likely won't be a good unit this year.
While the Bears aren't playing the four worst defenses in the NFL, this start to the year blends in beatable defenses with some decently tough matchups to form a perfect entry into the year with the new-look offense after Moore's departure.
It's a perfect way to begin the season for the offense, as Johnson's offense will face the right amount of challenge to begin the year to get a true feel for how the Bears' 2026 offense will operate with Moore gone.
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