After a two-year hiatus, the Chicago Bears-Green Bay Packers rivalry is returning to prime time — and the Bears also will be playing on Black Friday.
Fox Sports announced Monday that the Bears will host the Packers at Soldier Field in Week 16 on Saturday, Dec. 20, as the NFL began a slow trickle of releasing marquee games in advance of Wednesday’s release of the complete 2025 schedule. The game will be played at 3:30 or 6 p.m.
And Amazon announced later Monday that Prime Video will televise the Bears’ visit to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13 on Friday, Nov. 28. This is the third consecutive year Prime Video will stream an NFL game on “Black Friday,” and it will be the Bears’ first Friday game since a 31-17 road loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 16, 1966.
The Bears completed the 2024 season with a 24-22 upset of the Packers on Jan. 5 at Lambeau Field as Cairo Santos nailed a 51-yard field goal on the final play. The victory ended a 10-game losing streak for the Bears and sent them into an offseason of considerable change.
With new coach Ben Johnson and his staff, a rebuilt offensive line and optimism for the development of quarterback Caleb Williams in his second season, the Bears are gaining interest in the NFC North, arguably the best division in the league last season.
The Bears and Packers played in prime time once annually from 2006 through 2022, a span of 17 consecutive seasons, before playing only afternoon games in 2023 and 2024. The Packers have won the last seven meetings at night.
The last time the Bears defeated the Packers in prime time at Soldier Field was a 20-17 victory on “Monday Night Football” in Week 3 of 2010 as Robbie Gould connected on two short field goals in the final four minutes.
The Bears have lost five consecutive meetings with the Eagles, with the last win coming by a 30-24 score in Week 9 of 2011 in Philadelphia.
The Eagles’ road game against the Washington Commanders also will air on Fox on Dec. 20.
By playing on Saturday in Week 16, it’s possible that increases the chances the Bears are selected to play in Week 17 on Christmas, which is Thursday, Dec. 25.
In addition to the standard home and away NFC North games, the Bears will play the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints at home. They have road games against the Eagles, Commanders, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco 49ers.
It’s worth wondering if the Bears-Commanders game is selected for Christmas.
The NFL will release the complete schedule at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
