Chicago
Bears
0-0
48
FINAL
33
Carolina
Panthers
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn an exciting season opener, the Chicago Bears topped the Carolina Panthers with a final score of 48-33. The victory not only sets the tone for the Bears' 2026 campaign but also showcases their offensive firepower right out of the gate.
Leading the charge for Chicago was quarterback Caleb Williams, who threw for an impressive 351 yards and four touchdowns, demonstrating his ability to command the field. He connected frequently with Colston Loveland, who racked up 145 receiving yards, while D'Andre Swift contributed significantly on the ground with 87 rushing yards, rounding out a potent offensive performance.
On the defensive side, Neville Gallimore was a standout, recording two sacks to disrupt the Panthers' rhythm. The game’s turning point came when Jaylon Johnson intercepted a pass, shifting momentum back to the Bears and ensuring their lead remained safe as they outlasted a late push from Carolina. The Bears’ defense, though not dominant, made crucial plays when it mattered most, sealing the victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Williams | QB | 21 | 15 | 71% | 351 | 4 | 0 | 153.2 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 33 | 18 | 55% | 334 | 3 | 2 | 94.7 |
| Luther Burden III | WR | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D'Andre Swift | HB | 12 | 87 | 7.3 | 10 | 1 | 44 | 1 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 10 | 70 | 7.0 | 16 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 4 | 33 | 8.3 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Caleb Williams | QB | 3 | 27 | 9.0 | — | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Colston Loveland | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Luther Burden III | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colston Loveland | TE | 6 | 145 | 24.2 | 91 | 3 | 64 | 0 |
| Luther Burden III | WR | 4 | 124 | 31.0 | 48 | 1 | 77 | 0 |
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 7 | 122 | 17.4 | 42 | 1 | 46 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette | WR | 3 | 76 | 25.3 | 28 | 1 | 31 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 3 | 67 | 22.3 | 13 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Darren Waller | TE | 3 | 44 | 14.7 | 14 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Rome Odunze | WR | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| D'Andre Swift | HB | 3 | 27 | 9.0 | 31 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Cole Kmet | TE | 1 | 26 | 26.0 | — | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 2 | 25 | 12.5 | 5 | 1 | 21 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neville Gallimore | DT | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylon Johnson | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Shemar Turner | REDG | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malik Muhammad II | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Montez Sweat | LEDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Scott | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaelan Phillips | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kyler Gordon | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lathan Ransom | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Simmons | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Brown | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dillon Thieneman | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bobby Okereke | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jackson Kuwatch | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zaven Collins | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Coby Bryant | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zakee Wheatley | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin Lloyd | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrique Stevenson Sr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Skyler Thomas | FS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Lee Hunter | DT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19 |
| Cairo Santos | K | 2 | 2 | 6 | 54 |

