The Chicago Bears have their Week 1 depth chart set, and with it comes a clearer picture of where the biggest questions have landed heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Carolina Panthers.
For Chicago, this opener is about more than just getting started. The Bears are carrying huge expectations into the 2026 season, and Carolina is the first real measuring stick. Now that the depth chart is official, a lot of the uncertainty from the past month has finally been answered.
At quarterback, it’s Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum. That’s as steady a trio as the Bears could ask for, and the hope is simple: Williams runs the show and nobody else has to. If that changes, Chicago has experienced depth behind him.
The backfield is led by D'Andre Swift, with Kyle Monangai and Roschon Johnson behind him. Swift and Monangai are both practicing through injuries, which is encouraging for Week 1. The Bears are expecting them to be available, and the bigger concern is whether they can make it through the week and the game healthy.
Receiver is where the most immediate concern sits. Rome Odunze is listed first, followed by Kalif Raymond and Zavion Thomas, with Luther Burden III and Jahdae Walker next in line.
Odunze has not practiced to open the week and is considered day-to-day, though the Bears sound hopeful he’ll play. If he can’t go, that group gets thin fast.
Tight end looks built for volume. Cole Kmet and Sam Roush are listed ahead of Colston Loveland, and Chicago appears ready to lean heavily on two-tight-end looks. With the receiver injuries piling up around Burden and Odunze, the tight ends could be even more important in the passing game.
Up front, the left tackle spot is one of the clearest storylines. Jones is starting there to open the season after a difficult camp and preseason, and the Bears are hoping it won’t be long before Trapilo is fully recovered and back in the starting lineup.
On the defensive line, the Bears are rolling with Montez Sweat, Austin Booker and Jamree Kromah, then Grady Jarrett, Neville Gallimore and James Lynch, followed by Kentavius Street, Jordan van den Berg and Jayden Loving, with Dayo Odeyingbo and Daniel Hardy listed next. Street is stepping in to start for Gervon Dexter after Dexter was traded to the Atlanta Falcons. Expect plenty of rotation inside, especially with Gallimore and van den Berg mixing in at defensive tackle, while Odeyingbo and Booker should keep rotating off the edge.
Linebacker brings no real surprises. T.J.
Edwards is joined by D'Marco Jackson and Keyshaun Elliott, with Devin Bush and Jack Sanborn behind them. The real question there is how much Elliott will actually play on defense versus handling special teams work.
The same uncertainty hangs over Sanborn’s role.
At corner, Tyrique Stevenson and Clark Phillips III are listed first, with Jaylon Johnson and Josh Blackwell next, then Cam Lewis and Malik Muhammad II in the DB spot. Lewis looks to be the nickel starter with Kyler Gordon injured, ahead of Muhammad. Beyond that, the Bears are counting on Johnson and Stevenson to keep the secondary stable.
Safety has its own adjustment, with Dillon Thieneman and Elijah Hicks listed first, followed by Xavier Woods and Skyler Thomas. Woods is in to replace Coby Bryant, possibly for the entire season, and there’s added pressure on Thieneman after the injuries that have hit the secondary.
Special teams brings one more wrinkle. Raymond and Thomas are both handling returns, and it’s still unclear whether the work will be split or if Raymond will take it all. Thomas flashed his speed on punt returns in the preseason win over the Tennessee Titans, so he may be tough to keep off that job entirely.
In Other News...
Bears Fans Are Mourning A 1985 Champion As More Is Confirmed
The Bears lost one of the central figures from their 1985 championship team when former fullback Matt Suhey was found unresponsive in his Deerfield home and later pronounced dead. The Lake County Coroners Office said there were no suspicious circumstances, and officials indicated the death was expected to be listed as natural causes given Suheys significant medical history.
For Bears fans, Suheys place in franchise lore was already secure. He carved out a successful 10-year NFL career in Chicago and helped define the 1985 seasons run to the title, including scoring the opening touchdown in Super Bowl XX, a moment that remains part of the teams most celebrated memory. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Fans Now Have The Official Word On Matt Suheys Death
Matt Suheys death has now been officially attributed to natural causes, ending the uncertainty that followed news of the former Bears fullback being found unresponsive at his Deerfield, Illinois home. The Lake County Coroners Office said there were no suspicious circumstances, and noted his death was tied to a significant medical history, a sobering update on a player longtime Chicago fans remember from one of the franchises most celebrated eras.
Suhey spent 10 years with the Bears and carved out a reputation as a reliable, hard-nosed presence in the backfield, capped by a career highlight that still resonates at Halas Hall: the opening touchdown in Super Bowl XX. For Bears fans, the official finding brings clarity, but it also closes another chapter on a figure from that championship team whose name still carries weight in Chicagos football history. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Get Needed Week 1 Relief But One Absence Still Looms
Rome Odunze was the one notable absence when the Bears opened their Week 1 preparation for Carolina, sitting out Tuesdays practice because of a lower-body injury. It was the lone blip on an otherwise encouraging injury report, as Chicago got back to work without any fresh issues showing up on the field.
DAndre Swift and Kyle Monangai were both back in action after their recent injury scares, with Swift returning from cramps and Monangai moving on from a hyperextended knee. For a team trying to get through the first week of the season in decent shape, that kind of early stability matters, even if Odunzes status is the one situation still worth monitoring as the opener approaches. [Read more 🡒]