The Chicago Bears revealed their 2025 schedule, which features some intriguing matchups in Ben Johnson’s first year as head coach.
Normally, a team that goes 5-12 has a little bit of relief the following year simply based on their schedule. A last place schedule featuring a handful of teams who finished at the bottom the year prior is usually nice. In the case of the Bears, it is a bit more complicated. Of course, playing against those teams should be a relief, although no game in the NFL is easy.
One of those last-place teams is the San Francisco 49ers, who had a bad year despite coming in as Super Bowl contenders. That’s not the easiest “last place matchup” of all time. Even the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints should be sligtly improved over what they were a year ago.
The Bears also have to play in the best division in the NFL again. The Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers, all winners of 11-plus games and postseason appearances in 2024, make up six of the 17 games.
The AFC North, the non-conference division that the Bears are matched up with, is loaded with high-end talent. At the top, the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals come in as Super Bowl contenders led by two of the best quarterbacks in the game. Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow being back-to-back opponents for Chicago’s defense (Weeks 8 & 9) will not be easy.
There is also the Pittsburgh Steelers, who never go under .500 with Mike Tomlin as their head coach. Don’t even think about the idea that Aaron Rodgers, an all-time Bears thorn, may end up being their quarterback. The Cleveland Browns are the bottom team in the AFC North, but the Bears will have a difficult time containing them if they don’t play as hard against them as they do everybody else.
There will be a lot of hype surrounding this Bears team because of the new coach, fresh draft picks, and upgrades through free agency. But it’s important to keep a level head due to their inexperience combined with this daunting schedule.
Ten of Chicago’s 18 games will be against teams that made the postseason in 2024. That doesn’t include the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, or San Francisco 49ers, who all had lackluster years for different reasons. If the Bears want to overcome this, everybody needs to show up to training camp and prepare from day one. From the general manager to the coach to the players, everyone must work as hard as they ever have.