4 bold predictions for Bears at Panthers

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.

Week 1 can feel like an outlier at times considering how much things can change between now and December. Look at what happened last year with Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy . But we're sure to see some big moments on Sunday that turn the tide one way or another. Here are our bold predictions for Bears vs. Panthers.

1. Bears march down the field to score on their opening drive

For all of the talk of the Bears starting slow last season, they got off to hot starts early in the season. The game script was working for Ben Johnson and the offense, even when things still weren't totally clicking yet. In Weeks 1 and 2, they opened the game scoring on their first possession. Johnson has had time to game plan for the Panthers and will be ready with a systematic drive to score six early on.

With a heavy dose of the rushing attack and key conversions from Williams, the Bears will score a touchdown on their first possession to (hopefully) take the early lead. As for who will be the first player to reach the end zone? It has to be the newly-extended D'Andre Swift on a run to the right side.

2. Colston Loveland and Tetairoa McMillan each have 100-yard days

This Week 1 matchup is not only a meeting between Williams and Young as former No. 1 overall picks, but it's also a chance for two top-10 picks from the 2025 draft to meet for the first time. Tetairoa McMillan (No. 8 overall) and Colston Loveland (No. 10 overall) were two of the best rookie pass catchers last year. McMillan became a top target for Young and earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, while Loveland finished the year strong as one of the most dangerous players at his position.

These two big-bodied targets will be busy for much of the day as go-to options for their respective teams. McMillan is easily the best pass catcher on the Panthers and with the Bears' secondary concerns, he's a threat to have a monster day. The same goes for Loveland, who has developed excellent chemistry with Williams and has ascended to become a No. 1 option as well. Each player will flex their muscles with 100 receiving-yard days in the blistering Carolina heat.

3. Montez Sweat gets two sacks and a tackle for loss

Have you noticed that seemingly every year in recent memory, a different Bears defensive lineman goes gangbusters in Week 1 with a star performance? There was Dominique Robinson in 2022, Yannick Ngakoue in 2023, Darrell Taylor in 2024, and even Dayo Odeyingbo in 2025. Each player had standout games early on, which means the tradition has to continue with someone else. How about Montez Sweat as he goes up against a rookie right tackle?

Sweat will be going up against rookie tackle Monroe Freeling, who has looked solid so far in Panthers camp, but has also been taken advantage of by upper echelon defensive linemen in joint practices. While Sweat may not be the best of the best, he's still very good and has a variety of tools at his disposal. The tested veteran will come out on top with a big day that includes multiple sacks and at least one tackle for loss against Freeling.

4. Bryce Young throws multiple interceptions

The concerns about the Bears defense going into 2026 have been talked about ad nauseum and while many of them are warranted, we shouldn't expect them to stop taking away the ball. Especially against a quarterback like Young. While the 2023 No. 1 overall pick took steps last year, one of his biggest issues still remains and that's starting the season out on the right foot.

Since coming into the league, Young is 0-3 in Week 1, has thrown two touchdowns to six interceptions, has averaged around 150 passing yards, and has a combined passer rating of 44.2. He's a slow starter and is prone to turnovers to start the season. Even with the defensive concerns, the Bears will pick off Young twice to add to those early-season struggles.