Bears at Panthers
Carolina Panthers 17, Chicago Bears 14 · War Room
Final Score
Bears 14 2 TD · 0 FG · 2 XP
Panthers 17 2 TD · 1 FG · 2 XPBrock Purdy 224 yds passingJaylen Warren 74 yds rushingKhalil Shakir 98 yds receivingQuentin Lake 8 tkl defenseTotal yards 317 · 314Passing yards 216 · 224Rushing yards 101 · 90Completions 22/32 · 20/32Yards per carry 3.6 · 3.2Recap
Franchise Hub Beat · 4d ago
In a thrilling season opener, the Carolina Panthers narrowly defeated the Chicago Bears 17-14, kicking off the 2026 campaign with a hard-fought victory. Both teams entered the game with high hopes, but it was the Panthers who emerged victorious in a tightly contested battle.
Brock Purdy led the charge for Carolina, throwing for 224 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his ability to command the offense. Jaylen Warren contributed significantly on the ground, racking up 74 rushing yards, while Khalil Shakir was the standout receiver with 98 yards, providing Purdy with a reliable target throughout the game.
Defensively, the Panthers made crucial plays that shifted momentum in their favor. Quentin Lake anchored the defense with eight total tackles, while Alex Highsmith’s lone sack proved pivotal in stalling a late Bears drive. The game turned in the second half when Purdy connected on a touchdown pass that gave Carolina the lead, and they held off Chicago's attempts to rally back in the final minutes.
Box Score
| Player | C/A | PCT | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | ||||||
| Joe BurrowQB | 22/32 | 69% | 216 | 1 | 0 | 97.9 |
| Panthers | ||||||
| Brock PurdyQB | 20/32 | 63% | 224 | 2 | 0 | 104.1 |
| Player | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | |||||||
| Chase BrownHB | 14 | 42 | 3.0 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Joe BurrowQB | 8 | 39 | 4.9 | 19 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| Rhamondre StevensonHB | 4 | 12 | 3.0 | 7 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| Chris BellWR | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| DeVonta SmithWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | |||||||
| Jaylen WarrenHB | 17 | 74 | 4.4 | 23 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Brock PurdyQB | 11 | 16 | 1.5 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Hunter HenryTE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Khalil ShakirWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Garrett WilsonWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | |||||||
| DeVonta SmithWR | 8 | 77 | 9.6 | 21 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Harold Fannin JrTE | 4 | 48 | 12.0 | 9 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Chris BellWR | 3 | 39 | 13.0 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Rhamondre StevensonHB | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Chase BrownHB | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Devontez WalkerWR | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Dawson KnoxTE | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Panthers | |||||||
| Khalil ShakirWR | 8 | 98 | 12.3 | 46 | 1 | 26 | 0 |
| Garrett WilsonWR | 3 | 52 | 17.3 | 15 | 1 | 28 | 0 |
| Hunter HenryTE | 4 | 47 | 11.8 | 15 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Marvin Mims JrWR | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Jerry JeudyWR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Mike GesickiTE | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| British BrooksFB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jaylen WarrenHB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Player | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | |||||
| Blake CashmanMIKE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D.J. ReaderDT | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ashtyn DavisFS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jakorian BennettCB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brian BranchSS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Isaiah McDuffieSAM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Odafe OwehLEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Amik RobertsonCB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ennis Rakestraw JrCB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | |||||
| Quentin LakeSS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daiyan HenleyWILL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| D.J. ReedCB | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin BushMIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charvarius Ward SrCB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zach HarrisonDT | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt MilanoWILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Alex HighsmithREDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jerome BakerSAM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian LoveFS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian BarmoreDT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyler GordonCB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcelino McCrary-BallWILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nate HobbsCB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zaven CollinsLEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | |||||
| Brian BurnsREDG | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen PitreCB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeForest BucknerDT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | FG | XP | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | |||
| Eddy PineiroK | 0/0 | 2 | 0 |
| Jeremy CrawshawP | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | |||
| Jake BatesK | 1/1 | 2 | 35 |