who will the bears play

Chicago Bears fans are buzzing right now—who will they play next in this thrilling 2026 NFL playoff run? After their epic wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers on January 10, the Bears punched their ticket to the divisional round, hosting the game next weekend (January 17-18) at Soldier Field.

Opponent Scenarios

The matchup hinges on tonight's 49ers vs. Eagles game, wrapping up around now on January 11 evening.

• If Eagles win : Bears host Philadelphia Eagles —revenge time after Chicago's regular-season Black Friday upset in Philly, though Eagles edged them 16-15 in the 2019 playoffs.

• If 49ers win : Bears face Los Angeles Rams instead, as LA awaits from their Panthers matchup; Bears beat Rams 24-18 last year and own a strong historical edge (54-38-3 regular season, 1-1 playoffs).

Game Details

Expect kickoff in one of the divisional slots: January 17 at 4:30 p.m. or 8:15 p.m. ET, or January 18 at 3 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. ET—exact time TBD post-tonight's result. This bye-like wait builds massive hype, with top-seed Seahawks looming later if Bears advance.

Historical Edge

Bears hold playoff leverage: 1-3 vs. Eagles but fresh regular-season win; dominant vs. Rams since their 1986 NFC Championship shutout en route to Super Bowl glory. Fans on forums are split—Eagles rematch fuels fire, Rams feel winnable.

Why It Matters Now

As of January 11, 2026 (7 PM UTC), check post-Eagles-49ers updates for lock- in; Bears' momentum from the Packers thriller (31-27) has them two wins from the NFC Championship.

TL;DR : Bears host Eagles (if Eagles beat 49ers tonight) or Rams in divisional round next weekend.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.