The Chicago Bears will face the Minnesota Vikings for the first time in the 2026 NFL season in Week 2 for the home opener at Soldier Field. 

Last season, the Bears finished 1-1 against the Vikings. 

Ben Johnson debuted the start of his head coaching career against the Vikings on Monday Night Football at Soldier Field last season. The Bears had a 17-6 lead going into the fourth quarter and saw that gap disappear after the Vikings scored three straight touchdowns. Chicago's offense ended the game's final quarter with a missed field goal, three and out, another punt, a touchdown and a fumble. Minnesota won 27-24. 

The second matchup in Week 11 at U.S. Bank Stadium ended with one of the Bears' seven fourth-quarter comebacks (including the playoffs). Minnesota took a 17-16 lead with 50 seconds left in the game, thanks to J.J. McCarthy's 15-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Addison. 

On the ensuing kickoff, Devin Duvernay returned the Vikings' kicker Will Reichard's kick 56 yards to the Minnesota 40-yard line. Johnson called three consecutive runs for D'Andre Swift and Cairo Santos converted on a 48-yard field to give the Bears a 19-17 road victory. 

[READ: Chicago Bears 2026 Schedule: Breaking Down the Toughest Three-Game Stretch]

It took fourth-quarter comebacks to secure victories against the two teams last season, which only increases the anticipation for the NFC North foes for 2026. 

Here is everything you need to know about the Bears' Week 2 matchup against the Vikings. 

After a third-place finish in the NFC North and another injury-riddled season for McCarthy, the Vikings signed Kyler Murray to a one-year, $1.3 million contract to compete for the starting quarterback job in Minnesota. 

The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft played just five games last season, throwing for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. Murray is going into his eighth season in the league and will be paired with one of the best offensive minds in the game in head coach Kevin O'Connell. 

The Vikings have not named a starter for this upcoming season, but Murray's ability to extend plays and utilize his legs to pick up yards on the ground would add another element that the Bears' defense would have to prepare for if McCarthy losses his job. 

One player the Bears will not have to worry about anymore is Brian Flores' defense is defensive end Jonathan Greenard. The Vikings traded the 6-foot-3, 259-pound edge rusher to the Philadelphia Eagles. In five games played against the Bears, Greenard registered 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and 16 total tackles. 

Although one former Florida Gator left, the Vikings did draft another one with the No. 18 overall pick. Caleb Banks is a 6-foot-6, 330-pound interior defensive lineman. When healthy, he can win his one-on-one matchups with power and quickness off the snap. 

But banks only played three games last season at Florida and has already had two major foot injuries in less than a year. 

  (Stats from radar360.com)  

Johnson has faced Flores' defense six times and has come away with five victories. Before the 2025 season, Johnson's offenses in Detroit scored 30 or more points against the Vikings' defenses in the four matchups. 

Flores did put the 30-point scoring to an end last season, holding Chicago's offense to just 24 points in a Week 1 win and 19 points in a Week 11 loss. 

With Williams entering Year 2 of Johnson's offense, that could propel the Bears' offense to reach the 30-point mark that the Bears' head coach was used to scoring during his time in Detroit as the offensive playcaller.