Bears Catch Big Break After Hit With Hardest Schedule in NFL

The Chicago Bears will not have it easy at really any point during the upcoming campaign, as they face the most difficult schedule in the NFL. However, the team does possess one distinct advantage over 29 of its 31 opponents for the Lombardi Trophy in 2026. The full slate of Chicago's opponents combined for a .550 win percentage last year, per ESPN. However, only the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers will travel fewer miles between Weeks 1 and 18 than will the Bears. Chicago is looking at 10,676 miles worth of road travel in 2026, according to FOX Sports. By comparison, the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams (Nos. 1 and 2 on the travel list) will cover 3.5-4x as much ground over the course of their respective seasons San Francisco and Los Angeles are not the best examples, as they are both bound for Australia ahead of Week 1. But that said, 12 teams will travel at least twice as far as the Bears this year. Inside the NFC North Division, the Green Bay Packers rank 28th in travel distance at 12,673 total miles, while the Minnesota Vikings are 25th at 14,852 miles. The Detroit Lions, who have the easiest schedule of the bunch (and one of the easiest in the league), will travel the farthest at 18,958 miles. Bears Got Positive Injury Updates on D'Andre Swift & Kyle Monangai Monday, Concerning News on Rome Odunze The lesser haul over the four-month regular season was not the only bit of good news Chicago received this week, as the offensive backfield returned to full health on Monday, September 7. Starter D'Andre Swift, who left the practice field last Thursday with a midsection injury that turned out to be a cramp, and backup running back Kyle Monangai, who has battled a hyperextended knee for weeks, both practiced in full to kick off the final week of practice before the season opener in Carolina against the Panthers on Sunday. Wide receiver Rome Odunze, however, was not available Monday after leaving practice Thursday with an unspecified injury to his right leg. Odunze figures to function as the No. 1 option in the WR room ahead of second-year player Luther Burden III. Bears Favorites Against Panthers in Carolina to Open Regular Season Chicago opened this week as a three-point road favorite over Carolina, another division winner from 2025 who played the Los Angeles Rams tough in the playoffs but also fell short of a victory (as the Bears did). That point spread indicates that the oddsmakers see the Bears as between a five-point and six-point favorite over the Panthers on a neutral field, which is a strong endorsement of the team's offensive prowess under second-year head coach Ben Johnson. Chicago's defense, unfortunately, remains banged up, particularly across the secondary. There are also meaningful questions about the pass rush and whether general manager Ryan Poles did enough to strengthen that side of the football during the offseason.