Chicago
Bears
0-0
44
FINAL
10
Carolina
Panthers
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a commanding season opener, the Chicago Bears decisively beat the Carolina Panthers 44-10, showcasing their offensive power and defensive prowess. With both teams eager to make a statement in Week 1 of the 2026 season, the Bears established their dominance early, leaving the Panthers struggling to keep pace.
Caleb Williams was the standout performer for Chicago, throwing for an impressive 251 yards and six touchdowns, effectively leading the charge. He connected frequently with Rome Odunze, who racked up 141 receiving yards, while Walter Payton added a solid 80 rushing yards, contributing to a well-rounded offensive display that overwhelmed the Panthers' defense.
Defensively, the Bears were equally impressive, with Dillon Thieneman leading the charge with eight total tackles. Shemar Turner made his presence felt with 1.5 sacks, constantly pressuring the Panthers' offense. The turning point came early in the second quarter, when a crucial interception shifted momentum firmly in favor of Chicago, allowing them to pull away and secure a comfortable victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Williams | QB | 22 | 18 | 82% | 251 | 6 | 0 | 153.7 |
| Cam Newton | QB | 34 | 21 | 62% | 229 | 1 | 0 | 91.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Payton Sweetness | HB | 15 | 80 | 5.3 | 37 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| D.J. Cunningham | LT | 11 | 60 | 5.5 | 18 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Marlon Blackshear | CB | 10 | 60 | 6.0 | 30 | 0 | 34 | 2 |
| Caleb Williams | QB | 6 | 22 | 3.7 | — | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Cam Newton | QB | 4 | 20 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Dom O'Neal | SAM | 7 | 11 | 1.6 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Johnathan Dunlap | REDG | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Eric Harrison | RG | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Luther Burden III | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treyvon Gay | CB | 6 | 141 | 23.5 | 78 | 1 | 70 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 10 | 127 | 12.7 | 14 | 1 | 28 | 0 |
| Luther Burden III | WR | 7 | 70 | 10.0 | 38 | 3 | 37 | 0 |
| Gabe Ortiz | RT | 3 | 44 | 14.7 | 7 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Santiago Reyes | WR | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Colston Loveland | TE | 3 | 21 | 7.0 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Dom O'Neal | SAM | 4 | 20 | 5.0 | 17 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Doug Hoffmann | TE | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| Eric Harrison | RG | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dillon Thieneman | SS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josiah Williamson | LEDG | 6 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D'Angelo Redmond | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Klay Rush | SS | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sebastian Myers | LG | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin Lindholm | RT | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylon Johnson | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Norman Underwood | WR | 2 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Raphael Norman | LT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ben Joyner | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Callum Stark | WR | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Dixon | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seth May | C | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leslie Rachal | TE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Ferwerda | TE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Juan Manuel | TE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan van den Berg | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Montez Sweat | LEDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cody Bowles | WR | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sam Barker | TE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taylor Mays | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jackson Kuwatch | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tomas Jaramillo | WR | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tevin Hartwell | HB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Noah Sewell | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lee Hunter | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Dockery | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrance Hatchett | QB | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| K.C. Whitaker | FS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 50 |

