The Chicago Bears face the reigning NFC South champions, the Carolina Panthers, to kick off the 2026 NFL season.
It will be the second season for head coach Ben Johnson, who has built a powerful offense in Chicago, although there continue to be questions about the defense. For Carolina, their defense looks a bit different than last season with additions such as Jaelen Phillips to boost the pass rush and linebacker Devin Lloyd, who spent the past four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
There are reasons why both teams can come away with this game 1-0. Here is what it would take for the Bears to win this game and what it would take for Chicago to lose this game to the Panthers.
Why the Bears will win
The Bears will win because they have the better offense. Quarterback
Caleb Williams is better than Carolina’s quarterback, Bryce Young. Chicago has more talented pass catchers with receivers Rome Odunze (who is questionable but seems likely to play) and Luther Burden III along with an elite group of tight ends.
In the run game Chicago, the Bears had one of the best rushing offenses last season and are bringing back both backs - D’Andre Swift, who just received a three-year contract extension, and Kyle Monangai, who had a strong rookie campaign last season. There are some question marks regarding how well Carolina is going to do against the run which should benefit the Bears as they try to control the line of scrimmage throughout this game.
Chicago’s offensive line saw some changes in the offseason but are bringing back three core pieces with Joe Thuney at left guard, Jonah Jackson at right guard and Darnell Wright at right tackle. Ozzy Trapilo most likely will return to left tackle at some point as he continues to progress in his recovery. With the power the Bears have at offensive line, they should have no problem running the ball as well as protecting Williams.
Looking at Carolina, they have some questions at running back. Although Jonathan Brooks is going to play, it is unclear if he will be at 100 percent and their other running back, Chuba Hubbard, is not capable of being a starting running back. This should allow the Bears to make the Panthers a little one-dimensional and put more pressure on Young to drive the ball downfield, which could force him into some untimely interceptions.
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is always going to be aggressive, so the Bears are going to try and force some turnovers even though they have some new players in the secondary including a complete overhaul at safety. Chicago won every game last season with at least two takeaways and will have opportunities to continue that trend in the opener.
Why the Bears won’t win
The Bears will not win this game because of their defense. Chicago did not do much in the offseason to make their defense better. Their one significant move was to sign safety Coby Bryant, who will not be available for much of this season.
Carolina is going to go after this defense, particularly the Bears’ safeties. Chicago is going into this game relying on rookie safety Dillon Thieneman and veteran Xavier Woods, who is questionable with a groin injury. If Woods is out, Cam Lewis would most likely be moved to safety, which would require fourth-rounder Malik Muhammad to start at nickel cornerback.
The Panthers have the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year in wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who had over 1,000 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. While Jaylon Johnson will probably be responsible for containing McMillan, Carolina has other weapons, such as Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, who are expected to have a leap in production as both are going into their third season in the NFL.
There are also concerns about Chicago’s left tackle. Braxton Jones won the job, but the other two players in contention for the role - Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills Jr. - were released and will not be playing in Week 1 as both of them are sitting on practice squads. Carolina made a concerted effort in the offseason to improve their pass rush. They will target Chicago’s weakest point on the offensive line, the left tackle. If the Panthers are able to get pressure on Williams throughout the game, it could be a long day for the Bears’ offense.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Why the Bears will or won't beat Panthers in Week 1
