Growing Signs Point to A Chicago Bears vs Seattle Seahawks Matchup in the Season Opener

Image Credit: USA Today.

Heading into the offseason, there was a slight chance that the Chicago Bears would be the opponent for the Seattle Seahawks in the opening week of the 2026 season. Such a chance comes from the fact that Chicago is one of the nine teams scheduled to play the Seahawks at Lumen Field during the 2026 season.

But the NFL's two opening-week announcements might have just increased the odds that Chicago plays against Seattle to open the season.

On Wednesday, the league made two announcements regarding the first week of the 2026 season, according to Adam Schefter. The first served as a confirmation that the Seahawks would indeed host the opening game of the season; the game is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, September 9th at 8:20 PM EST. The 2026 season will also be the first since 2012 to open on a Wednesday.

The next day, the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will kick off their respective seasons when they face off in Melbourne. The game will mark the first regular-season game to be staged in Australia, with kickoff scheduled for 8:35 EST.

As the Rams and 49ers are scheduled to play the Seahawks away, courtesy of traditional divisional matchups, the Bears will be one of the remaining teams in contention for the opening-day matchup. The other six teams in contention are the Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and New England Patriots.

The last time that the Bears contested a season-opening game was in 2019. That game saw the Bears take on the Green Bay Packers as part of the league's efforts to commemorate its 100th anniversary.

If the Bears end up facing the Seahawks in the season opener, it would be the latest chapter in a matchup that has typically favored Seattle. In 20 all-time meetings, including two playoff games, Chicago holds an 8-12 record.

At home, Chicago holds a 5-7 record against the Seahawks, whereas on the road, they are 3-5. However, Chicago has found success when it matters most, winning both playoff matchups between the two teams. Their most recent postseason encounter between the two teams was in the 2011 NFC Divisional Round, when the Bears beat the Seahawks 35-24.

The last time the two franchises met in a regular-season game was in December of 2024. That game was a low-scoring, sloppy afair that saw the Bears lose 6-3.