Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas 2026 continues with Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story, a Christmas romance built around family, football, and one very dedicated Chicago Bears fan.
Lyndsy Fonseca stars as Avery Clark, a freelance reporter who comes to Chicago hoping for some downtime with her mother, only to end up profiling Darlene Donnelly (Marsha Mason), a Bears superfan approaching her 500th game. Darlene’s grandson Matt (Robert Buckley) gives Avery a crash course in what the team means to his family, and somewhere along the way, Chicago starts looking a lot more like home.
Why Does Avery Come to Chicago?
Avery travels constantly for work, so Christmas in Chicago gives her a chance to spend some time with her mother and get to know her new stepfather, Ron.
Her old friend Garrett, who works at the Herald, quickly puts an end to the idea of a completely work-free holiday. He offers Avery a feel-good assignment about Darlene Donnelly, a beloved Chicago Bears fan who is about to attend her 500th game.
There’s one fairly significant problem. Avery knows next to nothing about football or Chicago.
She does, however, already have a connection to Darlene’s family. Before receiving the assignment, Avery meets Matt at the sports bar owned by her mother and Ron. Matt is a Chicago firefighter, a die-hard Bears fan, and the person who contacted the Herald months earlier about his grandmother’s approaching milestone.
Their families are close too. Avery’s mother and Ron are neighbors and friends with Matt’s family, which means Avery keeps running into him even before Darlene starts helping things along. And Darlene definitely helps things along.
Darlene Gives Avery a Bears Education
Getting the interview isn’t as simple as Avery expects because Darlene is constantly busy. She helps at the family hardware store, reads at the public library, participates in events supporting the Bears’ charitable work, and gets involved with the Christmas market.
Whenever Darlene suddenly becomes unavailable, Matt and Avery conveniently end up spending time together. They soon realize exactly what she’s doing.
Avery doesn’t initially understand all the rah-rah enthusiasm surrounding the Bears. Even her mother has embraced it since moving to Chicago. As she tells Avery, team spirit is like Christmas lights: you can never have enough.
Darlene eventually gives Avery the story she needs by showing her a collection containing every ticket from the Bears games she has attended.
She originally watched football on television with her family. Everything changed when she went to Soldier Field for the first time and fell in love with both the game and Bernie, the man she would marry.
From then on, they went to everything they could: preseason games, road games, and playoffs. Some years weren’t easy for Bears fans, but Bernie never stopped believing things would get better.
He died eight years ago, and Darlene still wears his blue scarf to games.
One detail in the collection stays with Avery. The album holding all those tickets has a title: One Day at a Time.
Avery and Matt Start Falling for Each Other
The more time Avery spends with Darlene and Matt, the more Chicago grows on her. Garrett also tells her that a staff position may open at the Herald in the new year and asks whether she would be interested. For someone accustomed to constantly traveling for freelance work, it gives Avery something unexpected to consider: putting down roots.
Darlene’s matchmaking meanwhile produces another solo outing for Avery and Matt when she stands them up for a sleigh ride cruise. With the harbor lit up for Christmas, the evening becomes a date whether they planned one or not.
Matt tells Avery that he earned the top spot on the lieutenant promotion exam. He’s considering transferring to another fire station because he has spent his entire career working under his father. The two are about to kiss when Avery’s phone buzzes.
Darlene has turned up at the sports bar and is singing Christmas songs. Matt and Avery eventually join her, along with the mysterious Santa who keeps appearing around the neighborhood during the holidays.
Their families continue spending time together, including a gathering at Avery’s mother’s house. Avery admits that coming back hasn’t been completely easy. Her mother has a new home, a new city, a new job, and new traditions, leaving Avery unsure where she fits into this version of her life. Matt suggests that she tell her mother how she feels. He also reminds her that changing traditions can make space for new ones.
His own grandmother is considerably less subtle. When Matt asks Darlene to stop meddling, she simply points out that she’s noticed how much he likes Avery.
Football Starts to Mean Something Different to Avery
As Avery continues working on Darlene’s story, she begins to understand that football here is about much more than what happens on the field. The Bears give these families and their community something they share.
At a charity event, Matt opens up about his previous relationship. His ex received a great job opportunity in San Diego, and he didn’t want her to give it up for him. They tried long-distance, but the relationship didn’t survive.
Avery also gets to know Ron without seeing him only as her mother’s new husband. He tells her that he and her mother first met at the concession stand during a Bears game. Ron spilled his drink on her but managed to leave without getting her number. A few days later, she unexpectedly walked into his bar.
Avery reconnects with her mother too, and she and Ron join Avery in making the family’s traditional sugar cookies.
At the Christmas market, another opportunity brings Avery and Ron closer. Matt’s father gets called away for an emergency before the cornhole competition, so Ron becomes Avery’s partner. They make it all the way to the final and, because this is a Hallmark Christmas movie, Avery’s last throw wins it for them.
Later that evening, Avery and Matt finally get their own moment when they dance together at the end of the market.
What Is the Story Behind Darlene’s 500 Games?
The Bears arrange something special for Darlene’s milestone, offering her family a suite for her 500th game and taking care of everything for the celebration.
Before the big day, Avery is almost finished with her article, but Darlene already knows there’s one question left: why is the ticket album called One Day at a Time?
The tickets were originally kept in a shoebox in a bedroom closet. Then Darlene was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was caught early, but she still had a fight ahead of her. Bernie made the album and deliberately left room for 500 games. At that point, they were only a little more than halfway there.
He told her they would take things one day at a time until they reached 500 and could celebrate. Every new ticket became another milestone. Bernie gave Darlene hope when she was scared and made sure she kept living rather than letting that fear take over.
Avery’s finished article is a success and touches everyone who reads it. Garrett’s earlier suggestion of a staff job suddenly feels much more possible.
Ron tells Matt that Avery plans to leave after the holidays, while Darlene encourages her grandson to stop waiting and tell Avery how he feels.
Why Does Darlene Almost Miss Her 500th Bears Game?
After everything leading up to Darlene’s 500th game, she doesn’t go to the stadium at all at first.
One of her neighbors, who is recovering from cancer, is home alone because her niece has to work at the hospital. Darlene decides that staying with her is more important than reaching her milestone on schedule. Matt and Avery find them and watch the game there too.
Once the neighbor’s niece returns home, however, they aren’t giving up on getting Darlene to Soldier Field. Matt, Avery and Darlene race to the stadium in a fire truck.
The Bears have an enormous surprise waiting for her in the suite, where she’s joined by family, friends, and current and former Bears figures. She also receives a message on the Jumbotron thanking her for her loyalty, followed by photos tracing her journey to game number 500.
After all those tickets, Darlene finally gets to add one more.
Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story Ending Explained: Does Avery Stay in Chicago?
Yes. Avery stays in Chicago.
At the game, Garrett officially offers her the staff position at the Herald. The decision answers the question Avery has been wrestling with throughout Christmas. She doesn’t have to keep moving from assignment to assignment, and staying also gives her a chance to build a life near her mother again.
Matt still doesn’t know that when he prepares his own surprise for her. Near the bar, he creates a small romantic spot with candles and Christmas lights. After thanking Avery for the article she wrote about Darlene, he asks her to spend New Year’s Eve with him.
Matt admits that he likes her and doesn’t want to give up on their relationship simply because they live in different cities. Despite what happened with his previous relationship, he’s willing to try long distance. He doesn’t need to. Avery tells him she’s accepted the Herald job and starts in the new year. Avery and Matt finally kiss.
Christmas morning brings one more round of gifts. Matt gives Avery the snowflake pendant she admired at the Christmas market, while Avery finally finds the right present for Ron: personalized weighted sand for his cornhole bags.
The family then heads to the fire station for Christmas lunch. Avery realizes that this is where she wants to be and tells them she’s home.
Lunch at the firehouse can become the first of their new traditions.
Who Cameos in Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story?
The movie features several Chicago Bears cameos, including head coach Ben Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams, tight ends Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet, and Bears alumni Mike Singletary, Charles “Peanut” Tillman and Dan Hampton.
Connie Payton, wife of the late Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, and Staley Da Bear also appear, alongside Tamera Mowry-Housley, Marilu Henner, Jake Connelly and Dyon “Mojo” Brooks.
