The Chicago Bears will face the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on the road in 2026, and there’s a good chance they’re the team that opens the season up in the Pacific Northwest as Seattle raises the banner.

We’ve seen the NFL use the Chicago market and the Bears to drive up ratings for big games. That could be the case again for the 2026 NFL Kickoff game if the league chooses.

Sure, the league could schedule that game against one of Seattle’s big division rivals, like the Los Angeles Rams or San Francisco 49ers, but they could also make it a game against the Bears, who are coming for that NFC title. It would be a perfect opportunity to schedule Seattle against Chicago for extra traffic, revenue, and TV ratings. Chicago brings in extra hype, being in a huge market.

There are pros and cons to this type of game for the Bears. For one, it’s a road game against an elite team to start the season. The possibility of starting 0-1 is never ideal, but it didn’t seem to hurt Ben Johnson’s squad too much in 2025.

It’s also an opportunity to take advantage of a fatigued Seahawks team, which will be dealing with some distractions coming into the match. Even if Seattle played a good game and Chicago found a way to win, starting 1-0 is extra special when it’s a quality win right off the jump.

The Seahawks will open the 2026 season against the Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, or Los Angeles Chargers.

If it isn’t going to be the Bears or a division rival, the Chiefs would be a consideration if Patrick Mahomes were healthy. A Super Bowl rematch is also on the table. This is all speculation at this point, as schedules won’t be announced until May. Still, it’s worth mentioning as a possibility when the Bears are one of their options.

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears are candidate to play Seahawks in 2026 NFL opener