Postgame · Week 1

Bears @ Carolina Panthers

Sep 13, 2026, 12:00 PM CT · Bank of America Stadium · FOX

Final: CHI 59 CAR 37

First published
Tue, Sep 15
Last updated
Tue, Sep 15
Coverage
Postgame

Scoring summary

CAR
37 pts · 478 yds · 125 rush
CHI
59 pts · 552 yds · 291 rush

Injury report

Injury board

Designations tied to this game.

PlayerPosInjuryPracticeGameUpdated
Rome OdunzeWRcalfactiveactiveSun, Sep 13
Tyson BagentQBbackdnpinactiveSun, Sep 13
Ozzy TrapiloTknee—inactiveSun, Sep 13
Xavier WoodsSgroin—inactiveSun, Sep 13
Rome OdunzeWRcalflimitedquestionableSat, Sep 12
Tyson BagentQBbackdnpquestionableSat, Sep 12
Ozzy TrapiloTkneelimitedquestionableSat, Sep 12
Xavier WoodsSgroinlimitedquestionableSat, Sep 12
Kyler GordonCBcalf—outSun, Aug 30

Game intelligence

11 events

  1. COACH COMMENTVERIFIED

    Ben Johnson slept well after Williams' Saturday meeting

    Johnson said Williams was 'on top of it' in their final quarterback meeting, rattling off where his eyes needed to be, which let the coach 'sleep really well' the night before the opener.

    1 sourceView event

  2. GAMEVERIFIED

    Bears 59, Panthers 37

    59 points37 points552 total yards291 rushing yards

    Chicago opened 2026 with a 59-37 win in Charlotte, the highest-scoring season opener in NFL history and a franchise-record point total for a Bears opener.

    3 sourcesView event

  3. GAME PERFORMANCEVERIFIED

    Caleb accounts for four touchdowns as Bears score 59

    269 passing yards21 pass completions29 pass attempts2 passing td65 rushing yards2 rushing td

    Williams completed 21 of 29 for 269 yards and two passing touchdowns, ran for 65 yards and two scores, and finished with a 124.1 passer rating in Chicago's 59-37 win.

    2 sourcesView event

  4. GAME PERFORMANCEVERIFIED

    Swift: 124 rushing yards, three touchdowns

    124 rushing yards3 rushing td

    Swift carried 18 times for 124 yards and three rushing touchdowns in the opener, two days after Chicago announced his three-year extension.

    2 sourcesView event

  5. GAME PERFORMANCEVERIFIED

    Monangai: 100 rushing yards, including a 61-yard touchdown

    100 rushing yards

    Monangai gained 100 yards on 10 carries, including a 61-yard touchdown run that Williams later called his favorite play of the game.

    2 sourcesView event

  6. DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCEVERIFIED

    Carolina generated 478 yards against Chicago

    361 passing yards

    Bryce Young threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns as Carolina piled up 478 yards in a losing effort. Chicago still won 59-37.

    2 sourcesView event

  7. RECORDVERIFIED

    Highest-scoring season opener in NFL history

    The 96 combined points were the most in an NFL season opener. Chicago also set a franchise record for points in an opener, breaking a mark that had stood since 1948.

    2 sourcesView event

  8. INJURY STATUS CHANGEVERIFIED

    Odunze active vs Carolina after calf designation

    2 receptions52 receiving yards

    Odunze was not among Chicago's inactives and played against Carolina (2 catches, 52 yards). Last known status: active, not currently listed as injured.

    2 sourcesView event

  9. INJURY STATUS CHANGEVERIFIED

    Week 1 inactives: Bagent, Trapilo, Woods, Moss

    Bagent (back, emergency third QB), Trapilo (knee), Woods (groin) and Moss were inactive. Case Keenum backed up Williams. These are last-known Week 1 statuses pending the next official report.

    2 sourcesView event

  10. INJURY STATUS CHANGEVERIFIED

    Odunze limited with a calf, questionable for Week 1

    The Bears listed Odunze as questionable after a calf injury. He was limited in Week 1 practice and one of four players questionable for Carolina.

    1 sourceView event

  11. DEPTH CHART CHANGEVERIFIED

    Braxton Jones named Week 1 starter at left tackle

    Johnson said Jones would start the opener at left tackle. Official depth chart as of Aug. 26 listed Jones and Trapilo together at LT.

    2 sourcesView event

Player-by-player

Ben JohnsonCaleb WilliamsCole KmetD'Andre SwiftJahdea WalkerKyle MonangaiRome OdunzeKyler GordonMiller MossOzzy TrapiloTyson BagentXavier WoodsBraxton Jones

Sources · 21