Is the NFC North the Bears’ to lose with Packers sitting right behind?
The Bears are the talk of the division, but the Packers look ready to steal the NFC North.
If the season ended after 13 weeks, the Chicago Bears would have held the No. 1 seed in the NFC, giving them a first-round bye in the playoffs. That changed with their Week 14 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
At 9-4, Chicago dropped to second-place in the NFC North after entering the week tied with the Los Angeles Rams for the best record in the conference.
The Bears have not held the No. 1 seed in the postseason since 2006, the last time they went to the Super Bowl. Chicago most recently had a first-round playoff bye in 2010, the last year they went to the NFC championship game, but it was as a No. 2 seed.
Chicago’s Week 14 game against the Green Bay Packers was a massive matchup for both teams – the Packers’ win also gave them the NFC North lead heading into the final stretch.
Here’s where the Bears’ playoff outlook stands with five weeks left in the 2025 regular season:
Bears playoff odds
NFL Next Gen Stats gives the Bears a 65% chance to make the playoffs after their Week 14 loss. That number could have jumped to 89% with a win over the Packers on Dec. 7.
If the season ended after Week 14’s Sunday slate, Chicago would hold the No. 6 seed in the NFC side of the playoff bracket. The Rams are atop the conference thanks to holding the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Seahawks.
The Bears had won five straight games – making this their second win streak of at least four games this season – before losing to Green Bay. The Packers, the team right behind Chicago in the NFC North standings entering the game, have now won four straight, with their most recent wins coming in division play. They secured a Week 13 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving.
Bears remaining schedule
The Bears have one of the hardest schedules in the NFL to close out the season. Chicago still has another game to play against the new NFC North leaders – the Packers – and a divisional game against the Lions to close the season. The Bears also need to play the San Francisco 49ers, another team in playoff position in an NFC wild-card spot.
Tankathon rates their remaining schedule as the ninth-hardest league-wide. Here’s how the Bears’ schedule looks down the stretch:
NFC North standings
The Bears dropped to second place in the NFC North and into a wild-card spot in the NFC playoff picture after their Dec. 7 loss. Chicago is still in the race to bring home its first NFC North division win since 2018 and what would be the franchise’s fifth NFC North win since the league’s 2002 realignment.
- Green Bay Packers (9-3-1, 3-0)
- Chicago Bears (9-4, 1-3 NFC North)
- Detroit Lions (8-5, 1-3)
- Minnesota Vikings (5-8, 2-2)
NFC playoff picture
- Los Angeles Rams (10-3; NFC West leaders)
- Green Bay Packers (9-3-1, NFC North leaders)
- Philadelphia Eagles (8-4; NFC East leaders)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5; NFC South leaders)
- Seattle Seahawks (10-3, wild card No. 1)
- Chicago Bears (9-4; wild card No. 2)
- San Francisco 49ers (9-4, wild card No. 3)
In the hunt: Detroit Lions (8-5); Carolina Panthers (7-6); Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1); Minnesota Vikings (5-8)
Eliminated: Atlanta Falcons (4-9); Arizona Cardinals (3-9), New Orleans Saints (3-10); Washington Commanders (3-10); New York Giants (2-11)
