The NFL's holiday calendar is beginning to take shape, and for the Chicago Bears, Christmas 2026 is shaping up to look very different from recent years. According to multiple reports published in recent days, the league is finalizing plans for a Christmas Day matchup between the Bears and their historic NFC North rivals, the Green Bay Packers. The game would air on Netflix, continuing the streaming giant's growing relationship with the NFL's holiday programming.
This isn't just a date on the calendar--it's a statement. For a Bears franchise that has spent much of the past decade rebuilding while its archrival hoarded division titles, a Christmas primetime slot represents recognition that this rivalry is once again nationally relevant. And with the roster Head Coach Ben Johnson is assembling, that recognition feels earned.
The Christmas Day Landscape
The 2026 NFL schedule won't be fully released for several months, but Christmas Day games are typically locked in early due to the production demands of holiday broadcasts. The league has leaned into Christmas as a tentpole day on the NFL calendar, often scheduling multiple games across network partners and streaming platforms.
Adding the Bears-Packers rivalry to that mix is a savvy programming decision. No matter where both teams sit in the standings, a Bears-Packers game carries built-in emotion, history, and ratings power. But if this game is the appetizer to the 2026 playoffs, it could be enormous.
Per the reports, Netflix will carry the broadcast--continuing the platform's expansion into live sports. The Bears and Packers would become the latest participants in what is quickly becoming a Christmas tradition, joining teams like the Chiefs, Eagles, and 49ers who have played in recent holiday showcases.
Why This Bears Team Is Primed for the Moment
Here's what makes this report exciting: this isn't the same Bears team that has lost 16 of its last 22 meetings with Green Bay. Under general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson, this organization has changed not just its roster but its entire philosophy.
Johnson, the offensive mastermind who turned the Lions into a juggernaut before taking the Bears job, has a quarterback to develop in Caleb Williams. The No. 1 overall pick from the 2024 draft now has a full offseason under his belt in Johnson's system, and the supporting cast around him is genuinely impressive.
The wide receiver room features Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III--two elite talents who can stress defenses at every level. Add in veteran Kalif Raymond, who provides reliable depth and special teams value, and Williams has weapons that match up with any offense in the NFC.
At tight end, Cole Kmet remains a reliable security blanket, while Colston Loveland brings mismatch potential as a move tight end who can split out wide or work the seam. Johnson's scheme historically thrives with multiple tight end sets, and this duo gives him options.
The running back tandem of D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson provides a perfect one-two punch: Swift's explosiveness on the perimeter and Johnson's downhill power between the tackles. With Johnson calling plays, expect creative run designs that keep the Packers defense guessing.
But perhaps the most telling sign of this team's rise is the offensive line. Poles invested heavily in the trenches, adding veterans like Joe Thuney and Garrett Bradbury to a unit that already featured rising stars Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright. Jedrick Wills Jr. adds tackle depth, and the interior looks vastly improved from the porous lines of years past.
Defensive Identity Under Dennis Allen
On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has a unit built to pressure quarterbacks and force turnovers--two traits that travel well, especially in big games.
Montez Sweat is the anchor, a premier edge rusher who can wreck a game plan on his own. Dayo Odeyingbo adds length and athleticism opposite Sweat, while the interior features Grady Jarrett, a battle-tested disruptor who knows what it takes to win in January. Gervon Dexter Sr. has developed into a reliable starter, and the depth along the defensive line is the best it has been in Chicago in years.
The secondary remains one of the league's best. Jaylon Johnson is a lockdown corner who can travel with a team's No. 1 receiver, while Kyler Gordon provides sticky coverage in the slot. Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith offer size and physicality on the outside, and the safety group features Coby Bryant and Elijah Hicks as versatile pieces who can play single-high or in the box.
That group matches up well against a Packers offense that, while still dangerous, is no longer the Aaron Rodgers-led juggernaut that tormented Chicago for nearly two decades. Green Bay remains competitive, but the days of automatic losses when the calendar turned to Packers week are over.
A New Era of the Rivalry
This Christmas Day game will likely serve as a measuring stick for where the Bears sit in the NFC hierarchy. If Johnson's offense is humming by December, and if Allen's defense is creating turnovers at the rate expected, the Bears have every right to expect not just a competitive game but a win.
The rivalry has been lopsided for far too long. Since 2010, the Bears have only beaten the Packers four times in their last 20 meetings. That's a brutal stat that weighs on the locker room and the fan base. But this team feels different. The roster has been rebuilt with purpose. The coaching staff is aligned and aggressive. And the front office has committed to building through the draft and smart veteran acquisitions.
Christmas Day at Soldier Field--or possibly Lambeau Field, depending on the home/away rotation--would be the perfect stage for this rivalry to reassert itself as one of the NFL's premier matchups. The snow, the lights, the stakes. It writes itself.
What to Watch For
Between now and December 25, 2026, there's a full season to play. But this report provides a fascinating lens through which to view the Bears' upcoming campaign. Every roster decision, every injury, every late-season surge takes on added weight when a primetime rivalry game sits at the end of the calendar.
Will Caleb Williams be fully comfortable in Johnson's offense by then? Can the offensive line stay healthy and build chemistry? Will the pass rush generate consistent pressure against a veteran Packers offensive line? These are the questions that will define not just this game, but the entire 2026 Bears season.
For now, Bears fans can mark their calendars with cautious optimism. The opponent is familiar. The stage is massive. And for the first time in years, Chicago might just enter that matchup as the team with momentum.
The NFL hasn't officially released the full schedule yet, but all signs point to a Bears-Packers Christmas classic on Netflix. If the Bears are who we think they are, it could be the highlight of the holiday weekend.
