CHARLOTTE (Interstat) — Caleb Williams threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more, D’Andre Swift scored three times and Chicago opened its season with a 59-37 victory over Carolina on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, at Bank of America Stadium. The Bears improved to 1-0. The Panthers fell to 0-1. An announced attendance of 72,597 watched the National Football League game. Williams, Chicago’s top star, completed 21 of 29 passes for 269 yards, ran 10 times for 65 yards and accounted for four touchdowns. He had gone 15 of 26 for 138 yards and rushed five times for 42 yards in his previous recent performance. Swift finished with 18 carries for 124 yards and three touchdowns and added one catch for 10 yards. Kyle Monangai ran 10 times for 100 yards and a score and caught two passes for 24 yards. Kalif Raymond had eight receptions for 84 yards and a 23-yard punt return. Luther Burden III had five catches for 63 yards and one run for 2 yards. Rome Odunze caught two passes for 52 yards. Cole Kmet had two receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown. Jahdae Walker had a 1-yard touchdown catch and two tackles.

Carolina quarterback Bryce Young threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score, but the Panthers could not keep pace after a back-and-forth first half. Young completed 23 of 37 passes and ran twice for 10 yards. Jalen Coker caught eight passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Tetairoa McMillan had five receptions for 75 yards. Darren Waller caught two passes for 28 yards. Tommy Tremble had three catches for 25 yards. Mitchell Evans caught one pass for 9 yards. Jonathon Brooks ran four times for 14 yards and caught one pass for 48 yards. AJ Dillon ran five times for 28 yards. Jimmy Horn Jr. returned five kickoffs for 101 yards and two punts for 17 yards. Xavier Legette returned two kickoffs for 52 yards. Devin Lloyd led Carolina with 13 tackles. Nick Scott had seven tackles. Bobby Okereke and Lee Hunter each had six tackles. Will Lee III had five tackles. Derrick Brown had three tackles. Ryan Fitzgerald made his only field goal attempt, a 44-yarder, but later had an extra point blocked.

The game started with a Carolina touchdown nullified by penalty. Bryce Young’s short middle pass to Darren Waller for 1 yard was erased by offensive pass interference on Waller, 9 yards, enforced at the Chicago 1. On the next snap, Young found Chuba Hubbard for a 4-yard touchdown and Fitzgerald’s extra point made it 7-0. Chicago answered with Caleb Williams’ 9-yard scramble left end for a touchdown and Cairo Santos’ extra point tied it. D’Andre Swift’s 1-yard run up the middle and Santos’ kick gave Chicago a 14-7 lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter, Williams hit Cole Kmet for a 22-yard touchdown and Santos added the extra point. Carolina responded when Young connected with Jalen Coker for a 51-yard touchdown. Young then scrambled right tackle for a 7-yard score, and Fitzgerald’s extra point tied the game at 21. Santos made a 40-yard field goal, Fitzgerald answered with a 44-yard field goal, and Williams scrambled left end for a 29-yard touchdown with 22 seconds left in the half. Santos’ extra point sent Chicago into halftime ahead 31-24.

Carolina tied the game early in the third quarter when Chuba Hubbard scored on a 2-yard run left guard and Fitzgerald kicked the extra point. Chicago regained the lead on Swift’s 1-yard run up the middle and Santos’ extra point. Monangai then broke free for a 61-yard touchdown up the middle, and the extra point made it 45-31 after three quarters. In the fourth, Williams threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jahdae Walker, and Santos’ kick pushed the lead to 52-31. Carolina’s next touchdown was first nullified when Young’s 1-yard pass to Mitchell Evans was wiped out by offensive pass interference on Coker, 10 yards, enforced at the Chicago 1. Young then found Coker for an 8-yard touchdown, but Fitzgerald’s extra point was blocked. Swift sealed the game with a 28-yard touchdown run right guard, and Santos’ extra point finished the scoring at 59-37.

Chicago’s defense had several contributors. Dillon Thieneman made 10 tackles. Tyrique Stevenson Sr. had nine tackles. Cam Lewis and Devin Bush each had six tackles. Malik Muhammad II had three tackles and one interception. Grady Jarrett and Jaylon Johnson each had three tackles. Montez Sweat and Kentavius Street each had two tackles and one sack. Austin Booker and D’Marco Jackson each had two tackles. Josh Blackwell had four kickoff returns for 85 yards and one tackle. Tory Taylor punted twice for 102 yards. Cairo Santos made his only field goal attempt, a 40-yarder, and added extra points. James Lynch had three tackles. Roschon Johnson had four tackles. Dayo Odeyingbo, Skyler Thomas, Beau Gardner, Daniel Hardy, Elijah Hicks, Neville Gallimore and T.J. Edwards each had one tackle.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Carolina 27, Chicago 22. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Chicago with a 62.5 percent probability to win. Carolina had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -3. The total score of 96 went under the over/under line of 47.5. Chicago will host Minnesota on Sunday, Sept. 20. Carolina will visit Atlanta on Sunday, Sept. 20. Chicago also will host Philadelphia on Sept. 28 and the New York Jets on Oct. 4. Carolina will visit Cleveland on Sept. 27 and host Detroit on Oct. 4. Chicago will visit Green Bay on Oct. 11 and Atlanta on Oct. 18, host New England on Oct. 22, visit Seattle on Nov. 2, host Tampa Bay on Nov. 8, host New Orleans on Nov. 22 and visit Detroit on Nov. 26. Carolina will visit Philadelphia on Oct. 18, host Tampa Bay on Oct. 25, visit Green Bay on Oct. 29, host Denver on Nov. 8, visit New Orleans on Nov. 15, host Baltimore on Nov. 22 and visit Tampa Bay on Nov. 30.