The 2026 regular season is just a few days away from beginning for the Chicago Bears as they make their final preparations before heading to Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers. It's a battle of two surprise division winners from a year ago, with each team hoping to get a jump start to the season.
For the Bears, they officially turned a corner last year during Ben Johnson's first season as head coach, becoming a dangerous team loaded on offense with talented pass catchers and a punishing rushing attack. And they were spearheaded by quarterback Caleb Williams, who broke out as the prolific playmaker he was billed as during his collegiate days to lead them to an 11-6 record atop the NFC North. The Bears advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs
last year and are hoping to take another step in 2026 as contenders.
The Panthers, meanwhile, are coming off a successful season of their own under head coach Dave Canales. Carolina was able to hang around .500 all year long with some big wins against playoff contenders and eventually overtook the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the NFC South at 8-9. Quarterback Bryce Young took steps towards showing he can be a competent NFL quarterback, in part thanks to weapons such as Tetairoa McMillan, but he's entering a critical year in 2026.
These two franchises have been connected ever since the massive trade for the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 that gave the Panthers Young while the Bears got a king's ransom in return, highlighted by Williams. In their third meeting since that deal, here are five Panthers players we'll be watching for on Sunday.
1. QB Bryce Young
No matter what happens for the rest of his career, Bryce Young and Caleb Williams will be measured against one another based on the trade between these two teams. While Williams has vaulted towards NFL stardom, Young is inching his way towards becoming an average signal caller. In 16 games last year, Young totaled 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Those totals are what Bears fans had been used to seeing for many years from their quarterbacks.
Young's small stature has limited his effectiveness, though his play has improved each year. He's overcome a benching in Year 2 to take a team to the playoffs the following season and has played with more poise going back to the end of last year. But starting a season has been trouble for Young. In three season openers, he's never thrown for more than 200 yards, has tossed two interceptions in each game, and has a combined passer rating of 44.2. Young doesn't start out strong, which is good news for a Bears defense with too many question marks. Let's see if defensive coordinator Dennis Allen can conjure up a gameplan that keeps the former Heisman winner uneasy.
2. WR Tetairoa McMillan
A big reason for Young's improvement in 2025 was the addition of wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who gave the Panthers a true difference-making weapon on the outside. McMillan was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and came into the Panthers offense as a big-bodied receiver who can be a quarterback's best friend. At 6-foot-5, McMillan can be a mismatch for cornerbacks as a physical receiver, but he's also quick enough to burn by defenders for deep plays. Playing in all 17 games last year, McMillan caught 70 passes for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. He won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Seeing how the Bears decide to guard McMillan will be an interesting development. He's far and away Carolina's best weapon, so it makes sense for someone like Jaylon Johnson to shadow McMillan. Johnson is finally healthy after battling groin injuries last year and should provide a good matchup against someone like McMillan. If anyone is going to bust the game wide open, it will be McMillan.
3. DT Derrick Brown
The strength of this Panthers team is their defense, and it starts up front with defensive tackle Derrick Brown. The veteran lineman has been a force for years and is coming off another excellent season, having totaled 73 tackles (five for loss), five sacks, seven passes defensed, and a forced fumble in 2025.
Brown typically lines up over the right side of the offensive line, which is good for the Bears considering that's their strength with Jonah Jackson and Darnell Wright. But he can still wreak havoc and bust through the protection to blow up plays before they develop. With so many injuries on the Panthers' defensive line, Brown and Jaelen Phillips will be the top players to contain on Sunday. And while Phillips can be a handful, Brown is the most dangerous one of the group.
4. LB Devin Lloyd
The Panthers reshaped their defense with a number of acquisitions, including signing former Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd to a three-year deal. Lloyd is coming off a career year where he totaled five interceptions and seven pass breakups in 15 games. He also allowed just one passing touchdown after surrendering five a year earlier.
Lloyd is an all-around solid linebacker who can defend both the run and pass well. He should see plenty of action trying to handle the Bears' two-headed rushing attack. Lloyd's size also helps him when having to cover tight ends, which the Bears should utilize quite a bit. We'll see how the Panthers opt to use the 2025 All-Pro to stop the Bears' offense.
5. CB Jaycee Horn
There are playmakers at every level of the Panthers' defense, and Jaycee Horn may be the most notable of them all. The two-time Pro Bowl cornerback has developed into one of the best players at his position, though he can be a bit boom or bust at times.
Horn is coming off a season in which he tallied five interceptions and allowed fewer than 50% of passes to be completed when targeted. He also allowed six touchdowns last year, the same as he did in 2024, and had the highest receiving yards when targeted (7.5) of his career. Horn is an opportunistic player who is capable of creating turnovers at any point, and we'll see how the Bears handle him on Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 Panthers players to watch vs. Bears
