The 2026 schedule looks grueling for the Chicago Bears.
The defending Super Bowl champs are on their schedule. So are the runners-up. Five other 2025 playoff qualifiers are on Chicago’s list of opponents. As are two teams that missed the playoffs despite finishing with winning records. Whether you want to cite last year’s results or use projected win totals to forecast what’s coming down the pipeline, the Bears’ schedule is among the toughest in the league.
However, there is one sneaky perk about what lies ahead. And while it might not mean much to you, that Chicago’s football team will be the most-well-rested in the league in 2026 is certainly an interesting anecdote.
Chicago Bears 2025 Prep and Rest:#29 in Prep & Rest rank#25 in net rest rank (-4 days)Chicago Bears 2026 Prep & Rest:#1 in Prep & Rest rank#1 in net rest rank (+15 days)this year the Bears have the #2 largest net rest edge for any team since 1990 pic.twitter.com/e51erNLyky
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) May 18, 2026In a deeper dive on the topic (which I recommend reading, by the way) on his site, Warren Sharp explains the importance of edge rest and highlights reasons why it matters:
Over the last decade, teams with a three to six day rest edge and not off a full bye have covered 54.6% of games with a 4.2% ROI over 233 games from Week 6 onward. If these teams play on the road with this rest edge, the cover rate jumps to 56.1% with a 7.0% ROI over 134 games. In the last decade, teams playing short-week (less than six days rest) road games after Week 6 have won just 43.9% of games and covered just 47.4% (-9.4% ROI). Meanwhile, when those same road teams play with extra rest (over 6 days) instead of short rest (literally just flip one variable), they have won 46.9% of games and have covered a whopping 53.3% (+1.8% ROI).For as much as NFL games are decided by who wins the battles in the trenches, football is a war of attrition. Sure, there is an element of “it isn’t who you play, but when you play them” that exists in every season. But so often, it is all about who is available on any given game day. So when I see a graphic like the one above, I find myself intrigued by what it could mean for the Bears. To be clear, the Bears won’t win or lose games because of the rest they get this season. But it sure as heck will help them in that war of attrition.
© Matt Marton-Imagn ImagesCan the Bears take advantage of the extra rest their schedule provides?
As we discussed in Saturday’s Bullets, the NFL drafts its schedule in a way that creates competitive balance — albeit in roundabout ways. For instance, the Bears have one of the toughest projected schedules in 2026. So, perhaps with that in mind, the league has given Chicago’s football team ample rest opportunities. On the flip side, the Detroit Lions have a relatively weaker strength of schedule, which could explain why their travel schedule has the potential to be a taxing one.
With great expectations comes equally great challenges. The 2026 Bears schedule includes seven standalone games in prime viewing windows. And while that means they will play on a short week six times, they also have five games with 7+ days to prepare and don’t have much air travel to deal with this year. What a year to be a Bears fan, eh?
In the end, I like that Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams aren’t the type of people who make excuses when things get tough. And with that in mind, I look forward to seeing how they combat what lies ahead. Stay tuned.
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