The Chicago Bears will reportedly open the 2026 NFL season on the road.
It’s just not the matchup that a bunch of fans were hoping to see.
Instead of the Bears opening up against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, the team is apparently set to get things going on the road against the Carolina Panthers. NFL insider Jordan Schultz has the scoop:
Sources: The #Panthers will host the #Bears in Week 1, as a pair of former #1 overall picks in Caleb Williams and Bryce Young face-off.Both Carolina and Chicago won their divisions last year. ? t.co/Tq23zYKC90 pic.twitter.com/tmGs6vUeRg
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 13, 2026REPORT: Bears-Panthers to Kick Things Off in Week 1
If the NFL’s goal is to dial up the juice factor in the season opener, I think it is doing a good job with this particular choice. Sure, I would have loved a Bears-Packers Week 1 showdown. And an early-season Bears-Lions matchup would have been neat. But I can vibe with Carolina and Chicago butting heads in Week 1. If you’re reading this post, then you probably already know about how well Chicago’s football team played in 2025. However, you might not remember that the Panthers won the NFC South (thanks to a tie-breaker) despite posting an 8-9 record. Wild times!
BEARS SCHEDULE NEWS: Thanksgiving in Detroit | No Seahawks in Week 1
As Jordan Schultz mentions in his tweet above, the Bears-Panthers matchup sets up to pit the first overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft (Bryce Young) against the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft (Caleb Williams) in a Week 1 showdown. Plus, this will give us plenty of opportunities to relitigate the epic Bears-Panthers trade from 2023 for the umpteenth time. I’m not sure if there isn’t an angle we haven’t already covered. But if it exists, I’ll do my best to unearth it between now and when the game kicks off in September.
Quarterback Caleb Williams (18) looks to pass against the Panthers during the second quarter of a game played in 2024 at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn ImagesIf it feels as if these two have played a bunch in recent years, just know that you’re not alone in feeling that way. In fact, their upcoming meeting will mark the fourth time the two teams have squared off since 2020 and the third time since 2023. Chicago’s football team leads the regular-season series 9-3, has won four-in-a-row when it comes to the head-to-head matchups, and has emerged triumphant in seven of the last eight matchups. The most recent one came in 2024 when Caleb Williams threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns to take down the Panthers in a game that was started by ex-Bears QB Andy Dalton.
The Bears schedule won’t fully drop until 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, but I imagine that more leaks and announcements will come in the hours between now and then … so buckle up.
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