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5 things to know heading into Bears vs. Panthers in Week 1

The Chicago Bears will kick off the 2026 NFL season against the Carolina Panthers , where they ll be looking to start the season off on a strong note after last year s tough opener..

The will kick off the 2026 NFL season against the are coming off an impressive 11-6 season, where they went from worst-to-first in the NFC North, won the division and won their first playoff game in nearly two decades. Quarterback Caleb Williams set an NFL record with seven fourth-quarter comebacks, including the postseason, and established himself as one of the NFL's most exciting young players. The defense led the league in takeaways while the offense was a top-five unit. And that was only in Ben Johnson's first season as head coach.

Here are five things to know ahead of the Bears’ Week 1 game against the Panthers:

Bears open season on road for first time in 5 years

For the first time in five years, the Bears will open the regular season on the road when they face the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. Chicago had opened the year at home for the previous four seasons, where they've won two of the previous four home openers. But Week 1 hasn't been kind to the Bears over the last decade, as they've gone 3-7 in that span, including last season's brutal fourth-quarter collapse against the Minnesota Vikings. Chicago's lone Week 1 wins came against the Tennessee Titans in 2024, San Francisco 49ers in 2022 and Bears have won 4 of the last 5 matchups vs. PanthersChicago has dominated the series against Carolina, holding a 9-3 all-time advantage. That also includes winning four of the last five matchups and seven of the last eight meetings. The Bears last played the Panthers back on Oct. 6, 2024, which was a resounding 36-10 victory for Chicago. The Bears' last loss to Carolina came back on Oct. 5, 2014, when the Panthers won 31-24. We'll see if Chicago can get over their Week 1 struggles and continue their winning ways against Carolina.

Caleb Williams vs. Bryce Young in battle of former No. 1 picks

Sunday's opener will mark the first game between former No. 1 overall pick quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Bryce Young. While the Bears and Panthers squared off back in 2024, Williams' rookie season, Young did not play in that game. Williams and Young were acquired by Chicago and Carolina, respectively, after the infamous trade of the No. 1 pick back in 2023, where the Bears landed a haul in exchange for sending the top pick -- which became Young -- to the Panthers. All eyes will be on these two young quarterbacks, who are looking to take the next step in their development and get their team started off on a strong note.

Resolution with the infamous Bears-Panthers trade

Three years later, the Bears-Panthers trade is finally complete, and Sunday's season opener could reveal who "won" the trade, although it certainly appears to be Chicago after the haul of players acquired. Here's how it all played out: The Panthers acquired quarterback Bryce Young while the Bears landed quarterback Caleb Williams, right tackle Darnell Wright, wide receivers DJ Moore and Luther Burden III, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and punter Tory Taylor, as well as three rookies from the 2026 draft class in tight end Sam Roush, cornerback Malik Muhammad and linebacker Keyshaun Elliott. Only Moore is no longer on the team, and additional picks were acquired in his trade to the Buffalo Bills.

A battle between reigning division champions

This isn't a gimme game for the Bears as the Panthers present a challenge in Week 1. Both Chicago and Carolina are also reigning division champions. The Bears went from worst-to-first with an 11-6 record edging out the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, who all had winning records, and won their first playoff game in nearly two decades. Meanwhile, the Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the regular-season finale to win the NFC South for the first time since 2015 and appeared in the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

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