The Chicago Bears are getting a new look for one of the biggest games on their 2026 schedule.
The Bears officially unveiled their Nike Rivalries uniform Tuesday morning, a new alternate look that will make its on-field debut when Chicago hosts the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on Christmas Day.
The uniform is part of the NFL and Nike's four-year Rivalries program, which debuted in 2025 and expands to the NFC North and AFC South this season.
And while Nike and the Bears went in a new direction, they didn't stray far from the franchise's identity.
Bears Rivalries jersey puts a twist on classic navy
The jersey remains navy, but features orange numbers outlined in white with a numeral design inspired by Chicago's 1948 uniforms. The sleeves provide one of the biggest departures from the Bears' normal look. Rather than the familiar horizontal striping, the Rivalries jersey uses vertical stripes as a modern interpretation of the three-stripe design that has been associated with Bears uniforms since the early 1930s.
The jersey also features a replica of the "GSH" patch worn by the Bears in 1983 following the death of franchise founder George Halas. A "Monsters of the Midway" inscription is stitched inside the collar as another nod to the franchise's history.
The design also incorporates a connection to the University of Illinois, Halas' alma mater.
"We are excited to unveil our Nike Rivalries uniform," Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren said. "In collaboration with Nike, the Chicago Bears brand creative team designed a uniform that honors our storied tradition and recognizes the Chicagoland area, which we are grateful to represent."
Photo: ChicagoBears.com
Orange Bears helmet completes the look
The helmet may be the most noticeable element of the entire uniform.
Chicago will wear an orange helmet with a navy "C" outlined in white. The front bumper features an updated "BEARS" wordmark, while the rear bumper displays the four six-pointed stars from the Chicago flag.
The Bears will pair the jersey and helmet with orange pants featuring navy and white vertical striping.
It's a significantly different look without abandoning the colors and historical elements that make a Bears uniform immediately recognizable.
Bears picked perfect game to debut Rivalries uniforms
If the Bears were going to wear a uniform designed around the franchise's history, there probably wasn't a better opponent for its debut.
Chicago will wear the Rivalries uniform against Green Bay on Dec. 25 at Soldier Field, turning the Bears-Packers rivalry into the centerpiece of the uniform's introduction. The Christmas matchup had already been designated as Chicago's official "Rivalries" game when the Bears announced their 2026 home-game themes.
Chicago has five scheduled primetime games and two additional standalone games, and this season marks the first time in franchise history the Bears are scheduled to play on both Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Now they'll have a completely different look for the latter.
The Rivalries concept could easily have resulted in something that felt disconnected from Bears tradition. Instead, Chicago and Nike leaned heavily into it: Halas, the Monsters of the Midway, the 1948 number font, traditional navy and orange, and the city itself.
Whether fans love the orange-heavy finished product will undoubtedly become its own debate.
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