NFL schedule release day is only a day away, and as is usually the case, some strategic leaks have begun to drop in advance of the big reveal. The Chicago Bears already know their opponents and where they'll play them, but now they know at least one game that's locked into the schedule. Surprise, surprise, it's against the Green Bay Packers in a game that Bears fans hope could have major playoff implications.
The Bears and major playoff implications are two things that have not often been discussed together, or at least not once the season gets started. The Monsters of the Midway have made the postseason just twice in the past 14 years and haven't won a playoff game since 2010. Even then, their season ended in heartbreaking fashion with a loss to the Packers in the NFC Championship game. The Pack added salt to the wound by going on to win their only Super Bowl of the Aaron Rodgers era two weeks later.
The Packers and Bears are the NFL's oldest rivals, and if we're being honest, the Bears have been the little brother in that rivalry for a long time. Even after Cairo Santos booted home a walk-off 51-yard field goal to win at Lambeau Field in Week 18 last year, the Bears were on the next flight to Cancun while the Packers were on their way to the playoffs.
These two teams play each other twice every year, and thanks to the below tweet, we already know that one of those games will again be near the end of the season.
Weāre bringing the heat in Week 16 with a can't-miss doubleheader! š„š
ā FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) May 12, 2025
Catch an NFC East clash as the @Eagles take on the @Commanders, followed by an NFC North battle between the @packers and @ChicagoBears!
Saturday, December 20th on FOX šŗ pic.twitter.com/R56I4gsHLI
Will this year's late-season Bears-Packers game have playoff implications for both teams?
Stop me if you've heard this one before, but the Bears are feeling good about themselves in the offseason. Ben Johnson has been hired as the team's new head coach, and he even took a shot at Packers coach Matt LaFleur in his introductory press conference. General manager Ryan Poles imported some serious offensive line help through trades, free agency and the draft, while also adding depth to the defensive line and skill position talent for Caleb Williams to throw to in his sophomore season.
The Bears were also feeling good last offseason after drafting Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, but they fell flat as a team after getting out to a 4-2 start, dropping 10 straight games before that final win at Green Bay in Week 18. Former head coach Matt Eberflus had long been fired by that point, while Williams was just struggling to survive during a campaign in which he was sacked 68 times.
So will this Week 16 matchup actually have something on the line for both teams? The Packers always seem to be in the mix, so it would be foolish to count them out. As for the Bears, they've made massive improvements to the roster and the coaching staff, but they also are set to face one of the toughest schedules in the league.
The only other Bears game that's been leaked so far is a road matchup against the defending Super Bowl champ Philadelphia Eagles on Black Friday. That game is a nightmare on paper, but it will also serve as a real measuring stick as to the progress the organization has made since Eberflus was fired on that same day last year.
All in all, the Bears will play 11 games against teams that finished the 2024-25 season with a winning record. Seven of those are on the road, meaning if the Bears hope to make Ben Johnson's debut season a successful one, they're going to need to be much better closing out games than they were last year. Beating the Packers twice wouldn't hurt either.