The Chicago Bears lost their chance at the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, but they can still compete for the No. 2 seed with a win over the Detroit Lions next Sunday.
Following the Bears’ loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the NFL announced its Week 18 schedule, the first Sunday games of the 2026 calendar year.
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Chicago will host the Lions at Soldier Field on Sunday at 3:25 pm (CT) looking to end their season on a high note and potentially clinch the No. 2 seed with a win (or loss to the Philadelphia Eagles). The key to this announcement is that the Eagles will also be playing at the same time as Chicago and Philadelphia will be competing for the second seed and home-field advantage in the playoffs.
It’s an unfortunate end to an incredible 2025 for the Bears on Sunday Night Football, and even with the postseason on the horizon, there’s still a lot to do.
It will be interesting to see if head coach Ben Johnson elects to use the starters against his former team, the Lions (who defeated the Bears in the opener), or just use backups in the game.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Lions: NFL announces date and time for Week 18 game
