I laid all my current season win-loss projections, strength/weakness of teams, weather notes about the schedule, the history of in-conference games, teams/coaches coming off BYE weeks and solo night games, and estimated travel between games, etc., and dumped that all in my AI Frankenstein writer creation ‘AI-McGillidcuddy1’ and then asked him to give an NFL analyst take on each team’s schedule, using my data (not the NFLs), and using his created personality to do it.
I’m doing team-by-team each day of June, except two will post day one...and the strength of schedule rankings will rank one-at-a-time on RC Note’s every morning as well. ARI and ATL gets us started June 1st.
Here is a mostly unedited AI analysis of my schedule data from AI-McGillidcuddy1. Enjoy...
(by AI_McGillicuddy1)
The Chicago Bears' Triple-Checked Weighted Strength of Schedule calculates out to a final percentage of 48.3% (0.482699).
The McGillicuddy Take on the Bears' 2026 Schedule
The overall weighted number sits at a completely reasonable 48.3%, meaning the league didn't hand them some insurmountable mountain to climb. And honestly, we like this Chicago team a lot this year. They are expected to be an absolute powerhouse and a legit division frontrunner. When you're that good, you aren't hiding from anyone—you're the team everyone else is trying to figure out.
They kick things off at Carolina, host Minnesota, and then get a massive Monday Night Football showcase against Philadelphia, followed by the Jets, a trip to Green Bay, and a flight to Atlanta. A solid start of a schedule, especially for their defense getting Bryce then whatever is happening in MIN and then 2 weeks later it’s Geno/Aaron Glenn. Because this Chicago team is strong, they should be the ones dictating the tempo here out of the gates. It’s a fast-paced start, but it gives a premium squad a perfect chance to jump out to a clean lead in the division race while the cameras are rolling.
Week 1: at Carolina Panthers, Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC), Sunday, Sept. 13 at 1:00 PM EDT
Week 2: vs. Minnesota Vikings, Soldier Field (Chicago, IL), Sunday, Sept. 20 at 1:00 PM EDT
Week 3: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Soldier Field (Chicago, IL) — Monday Night Football, Monday, Sept. 28 at 8:15 PM EDT
Week 4: vs. New York Jets, Soldier Field (Chicago, IL), Sunday, Oct. 4 at 1:00 PM EDT
Week 5: at Green Bay Packers, Lambeau Field (Green Bay, WI), Sunday, Oct. 11 at 4:25 PM EDT
Week 6: at Atlanta Falcons, Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA), Sunday, Oct. 18 at 1:00 PM EDT
The middle stretch through October and November is where we find out what the 2026 Bears are made of--several high-profile, solo night TV games. They host New England on Thursday night and then travel to Seattle for Monday Night Football, and then host Tampa Bay before hitting a late Week 10 bye. Right after the break, they get New Orleans at home and then fly to Detroit for the classic Thanksgiving Day showcase. This is make or break for the Bears on whether they are just ‘good’ or are a top tier team for 2026.
Week 7: vs. New England Patriots, Soldier Field (Chicago, IL) — Thursday Night Football, Thursday, Oct. 22 at 8:15 PM EDT
Week 8: at Seattle Seahawks, Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) — Monday Night Football, Monday, Nov. 2 at 8:15 PM EST
Week 9: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Soldier Field (Chicago, IL) — Sunday Night Football, Sunday, Nov. 8 at 8:20 PM EST
Week 10: BYE WEEK — No Game, No Venue, No Time
Week 11: vs. New Orleans Saints, Soldier Field (Chicago, IL), Sunday, Nov. 22 at 1:00 PM EST
Week 12: at Detroit Lions, Ford Field (Detroit, MI) — Thanksgiving Thursday, Thursday, Nov. 26 at 1:00 PM EST
As for the winter weather at the end of the year? Look, this is Soldier Field we’re talking about. Chicago is built for the elements, and they aren't going to blink just because the temperature dips. But from a pure factoid standpoint, it's worth noting that they are going to spend almost the entire final month outdoors.
After a quick trip to Miami in Week 14, they hit a heavy, cold-weather outdoor stretch to close the regular season: travelling to Buffalo for a Saturday night matchup, hosting Green Bay for a massive Christmas Day standalone game, hosting Detroit, and then wrapping things up outdoors at Minnesota.
That is four consecutive outdoor games in the freezing elements to wrap up the year. For a mediocre team, that kind of late-December freezing stretch against division rivals might be a grind, but for a potential powerhouse Chicago squad, it's just standard business. It gives them a chance to lock up a first-round bye and finish the season exactly where they want to be—playing physical, hard-nosed football right in their own backyard.
Week 13: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, Soldier Field (Chicago, IL), Sunday, Dec. 6 at 1:00 PM EST
Week 14: at Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, FL), Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1:00 PM EST
Week 15: at Buffalo Bills, Highmark Stadium (Orchard Park, NY) — Saturday Night Lights, Saturday, Dec. 19 at 8:20 PM EST
Week 16: vs. Green Bay Packers, Soldier Field (Chicago, IL) — Christmas Day Friday, Friday, Dec. 25 at 1:00 PM EST
Week 17: vs. Detroit Lions, Soldier Field (Chicago, IL), Sunday, Jan. 3 at 4:25 PM EST
Week 18: at Minnesota Vikings, Soldier Field (Chicago, IL), Sunday, Jan. 10 (Time TBD)
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