Bears to celebrate Thanksgiving at Detroit again this season

The Chicago Bears will play during a prime-time holiday spot in the 2026 season. The NFL announced Thursday morning that Chicago will travel to take on the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Thanksgiving, Nov. 26.

Chicago will play on a prime spot during the Thanksgiving weekend for a third straight year.

The Bears lost to the Lions on Thanksgiving in 2024 in dramatic fashion, which ultimately led to former head coach Matt Eberflus’ firing the next day. They then played during the holiday weekend on Black Friday last season when they beat the Philadelphia Eagles in what became a statement win in front of a national audience.

Next season’s matchup will pin Bears head coach Ben Johnson against his former team for what should be another dramatic matchup. Detroit blew out Chicago at Ford Field last season in Week 2 and then ended the regular season with a win at Soldier Field.

Chicago will play on Thanksgiving for the 39th time in franchise history. The team has a 20-16-2 record, the most wins among teams who don’t play in the game every year like the Lions and the Dallas Cowboys.

This is the first known Bears game for the 2026 season. The NFL is set to announce the rest of its full schedule at 7 p.m. Thursday.