Bears at Panthers
Carolina Panthers 42, Chicago Bears 28 · 4th and Forever - 2nd League
Final Score
Bears 28 4 TD · 0 FG · 2 XP
Panthers 42 5 TD · 2 FG · 4 XPCaleb Williams 285 yds passingTrey Benson 172 yds rushingColston Loveland 116 yds receivingJaelan Phillips 3 tkl defenseTotal yards 404 · 391Passing yards 230 · 258Rushing yards 174 · 133Completions 17/27 · 14/20Yards per carry 7.9 · 5.8Recap
Franchise Hub Beat · 18h ago
In an electrifying season opener, the Carolina Panthers topped the Chicago Bears 42-28, marking a strong start to their 2026 campaign. With both teams eager to establish dominance, the Panthers pulled away in the second half, showcasing their offensive prowess and defensive tenacity.
Caleb Williams of the Bears had a standout performance, throwing for 285 yards and three touchdowns, while Trey Benson's explosive ground game netted 172 rushing yards. Colston Loveland emerged as a reliable target, racking up 116 receiving yards. Despite their offensive efforts, the Bears found themselves outmatched as the Panthers capitalized on crucial moments.
Defensively, Jaelan Phillips was a force for the Panthers, recording four sacks that disrupted Chicago's rhythm throughout the game. Bobby Okereke also made his mark with an interception that halted a promising Bears drive, serving as a pivotal moment in the second half. The Panthers' defensive pressure ultimately played a significant role in securing their victory and setting the tone for the season ahead.
Box Score
| Player | C/A | PCT | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | ||||||
| Caleb WilliamsQB | 17/27 | 63% | 285 | 3 | 1 | 120.1 |
| Panthers | ||||||
| Bryce YoungQB | 14/20 | 70% | 258 | 2 | 0 | 145.8 |
| Player | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | |||||||
| Trey BensonHB | 20 | 172 | 8.6 | 38 | 0 | 52 | 0 |
| Caleb WilliamsQB | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Zavion ThomasWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | |||||||
| Chuba HubbardHB | 18 | 120 | 6.7 | 21 | 2 | 48 | 0 |
| Jonathon BrooksHB | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Bryce YoungQB | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| DeVonta SmithWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tommy TrembleTE | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | |||||||
| Colston LovelandTE | 5 | 116 | 23.2 | 10 | 1 | 46 | 1 |
| Zavion ThomasWR | 5 | 114 | 22.8 | 13 | 2 | 48 | 0 |
| Luther Burden IIIWR | 3 | 22 | 7.3 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| D'Andre SwiftHB | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 12 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Trey BensonHB | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Rome OdunzeWR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Panthers | |||||||
| Zay FlowersWR | 3 | 60 | 20.0 | 29 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| Darren WallerTE | 3 | 54 | 18.0 | 9 | 1 | 22 | 0 |
| DeVonta SmithWR | 2 | 52 | 26.0 | 33 | 1 | 34 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillanWR | 3 | 50 | 16.7 | 8 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Chuba HubbardHB | 3 | 42 | 14.0 | 18 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Player | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | |||||
| Jaylon JohnsonCB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrique Stevenson SrCB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kyler GordonCB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeffery SimmonsDT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Montez SweatLEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. EdwardsWILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Noah SewellSAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin BushMIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Skyler ThomasFS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Coby BryantFS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Panthers | |||||
| Jaelan PhillipsLEDG | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bobby OkerekeMIKE | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Nic ScourtonLEDG | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick ScottSS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike JacksonCB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre'von MoehrigFS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee HornCB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Devin LloydWILL | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jarran ReedDT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrel DodsonWILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Lathan RansomSS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chau Smith-WadeCB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Lee IIICB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lee HunterDT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah SimmonsFS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | FG | XP | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | |||
| Cairo SantosK | 0/0 | 2 | 0 |
| Panthers | |||
| Ryan FitzgeraldK | 2/2 | 4 | 28 |