The Carolina Panthers open the 2026 NFL season against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Sept. 13 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
Follow our Bears-Panthers Game Center for game time, TV and streaming information, radio coverage, weather, latest lines, injury updates and key stats leading up to Sunday’s season opener. View this week’s full NFL schedule at the bottom of the page.
🏟️ Chicago Bears (0-0) at Carolina Panthers (0-0)
Date: Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC)
TV/Stream: Fox
Announcers: Adam Amin, Drew Brees, Kristina Pink
Radio: WRFX 99.7 The FOX in Charlotte and stations across the Carolina Panthers Radio Network. See our complete list of Panthers radio affiliates in North Carolina.
Weather: Partly sunny with temps in the mid-80s
Spread: Chicago -3
Over/Under: 47.5 points
Moneyline: Chicago -166 | Carolina +140
Lines via DraftKings, September 13, 2026
🔄 Last Updated: September 13, 2026 12:13 pm
🔎 Bears-Panthers Quick Hits
- Defending champs: Carolina begins 2026 as the defending NFC South champion after finishing 8-9 and reaching the playoffs last season. It was the Panthers’ first division title since 2015.
- Year 3: Head coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan enter their third season together after Carolina improved from five wins in 2024 to eight in 2025.
- Roster moves: The Panthers brought outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon and safety/special teams standout Isaiah Simmons up from the practice squad for the Bears game. Moon will provide depth with Patrick Jones II ruled out due to a back injury. Teams are permitted to bring as many as two players up from the practice squad each week, and those players will shift back to the practice squad after the game.
- New faces on defense: Carolina’s offseason additions include Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd, two of the team’s biggest free-agent acquisitions.
- Captains: Bryce Young, Chuba Hubbard, Derrick Brown, Devin Lloyd and JJ Jansen were voted the Panthers’ five season-long captains.
- Back in blue: The Panthers will wear their alternate blue jerseys for Sunday’s season opener against Chicago.
🩹 Injury Watch
Game-day update: The Panthers and Bears have announced their inactive players for Sunday’s game. See the complete Panthers-Bears inactive list and latest game-day updates.
The Panthers will be without outside linebacker Patrick Jones II for Sunday’s season opener against Chicago, per Friday’s practice report. Jones, who is dealing with a back injury, did not practice this week and was ruled out Friday. Coach Dave Canales has described Jones as week-to-week but said he does not expect it to be a long-term absence.
The news was better for running back Jonathon Brooks (groin) and defensive tackle Bobby Brown III (back). Both were full participants Friday and carry no injury designation, clearing them to play Sunday.
Chicago has four players listed as questionable as of Friday: quarterback Tyson Bagent (back), wide receiver Rome Odunze (calf), offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo (knee) and safety Xavier Woods (groin).
🏈 NFL Week 1 Schedule | 2026
Wednesday, Sept. 9
New England at Seattle — 8:20 p.m. — NBC
Thursday, Sept. 10
San Francisco at L.A. Rams — 8:35 p.m. — Netflix
Sunday, Sept. 13
Chicago at Carolina — 1 p.m. — FOX
Tampa Bay at Cincinnati — 1 p.m. — FOX
New Orleans at Detroit — 1 p.m. — FOX
Buffalo at Houston — 1 p.m. — CBS
Baltimore at Indianapolis — 1 p.m. — CBS
Cleveland at Jacksonville — 1 p.m. — CBS
Atlanta at Pittsburgh — 1 p.m. — FOX
N.Y. Jets at Tennessee — 1 p.m. — CBS
Arizona at L.A. Chargers — 4:25 p.m. — CBS
Miami at Las Vegas — 4:25 p.m. — FOX
Green Bay at Minnesota — 4:25 p.m. — CBS
Washington at Philadelphia — 4:25 p.m. — FOX
Dallas at N.Y. Giants — 8:20 p.m. — NBC
Monday, Sept. 14
Denver at Kansas City — 8:15 p.m. — ESPN/ABC
🔗 More Carolina Panthers Coverage
