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2026 NFL Schedule Release: Carolina Panthers to host Chicago Bears in Week 1

Danby: Daniel Hager17 hours agoDanielHagerOn3

Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season will see a clash between the reigning NFC South Champions and the reigning NFC North Champions.

The Carolina Panthers will host the Chicago Bears at Bank of America Stadium, NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reported. The game will pit former No. 1 overall picks, Bryce Young and Caleb Williams, against each other.

The last meeting between the two teams came on Oct. 6, 2024. That game was won by the Chicago Bears 36-10. The game also marked the fifth game of Caleb Williams‘ rookie campaign, which saw him pass for 304 yards and two touchdowns. Bryce Young was benched in the game, leaving Andy Dalton to quarterback Carolina.

Carolina, Chicago looking to repeat as Division winners in 2026

The 2025 NFL season marked a breakthrough for both organizations. Carolina won the NFC South for the first time since 2015, and Chicago won the NFC North for the first time since 2018. The Panthers put up a noble fight in the Playoffs, falling to the NFC runner-up Los Angeles Rams 34-31 in one of the most exciting games of the season.

The Bears, meanwhile, exercised their demons and knocked off the rival Green Bay Packers 31-27 in the Wild Card Round. They, then, fell to the Los Angeles Rams 20-17 (OT) in the Divisional Round. Both teams will be looking to repeat the successes of their respective 2025 seasons, although that will surely be a tall task.

The NFC South looks to be up for grabs, as all four teams have reloaded on the hunt for a Playoff push. The NFC North, as well, looks to once again be a bloodbath. It’s hard to count out any team in the NFC, especially in these two divisions. Carolina has not repeated as NFC South Champions since 2014-2015, and Chicago has not repeated as NFC North Champions since 2005-2006.

“It was good for me to be able to see, to be able to feel, to be able to go out there and win games,” Caleb Williams, who is looking to take the leap to Super Bowl contender, said in mid-April. “But that wasn’t my goal. That’s not my goal. That’s not where I want to be. I want to be the best. I want to go win. I want to be, as we call it, a world champion. A Super Bowl champion. I want to be the best Bear quarterback, the best quarterback.

“That was a good steppingstone for me. But that wasn’t the last steppingstone. Being able to grow off of last year and be able to progress in ways that I want to? That last year really wasn’t anything. It was a good year. We’ve got many more good years coming up.”