The Bears may be arriving in Week 1 with plenty of confidence, but Carolina has more than enough pieces to make this one uncomfortable.
Most of the attention naturally goes to Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker, and Bryce Young is still the biggest name in the Panthers’ huddle. But the matchup could swing on a few players who don’t always headline the conversation. Darren Waller, Jonathon Brooks and Mike Jackson all have paths to making life difficult for Chicago.
Waller is the kind of late-offseason addition that changes how a defense has to think in the red zone. Carolina already had Tommy Tremble and Ja’Tavion Sanders at tight end, but Waller brings a different kind of problem.
He’s always been dangerous near the goal line, where his size and athleticism make him a tough cover on touchdown chances. And even at 33, with his 34th birthday coming before Week 1, he still looks like a real weapon.
Per head coach Dave Canales, Waller hit 20 miles per hour on a route in practice recently. If the Panthers get inside Chicago’s 10-yard line, Waller could be the first look.
Brooks is the other player who can change the feel of the game in a hurry. The 2024 second-round pick barely got on the field as a rookie, logging only nine carries, and he’s spent most of his first two seasons recovering from a second ACL tear.
Now healthy and through a full offseason, he brings the kind of burst that can turn a routine snap into a chunk gain. He’s been dealing with some soreness in recent days, so his status matters, but if he plays, Chicago’s front will have to be ready for the yards-after-contact element that defines his game.
That could make rookie Jordan van den Berg an early test case for Bears fans watching closely.
Then there’s Jackson, who might be the most under-the-radar of the bunch. He should be more widely known after last season, but plenty of casual fans still may not have him on the radar.
The eighth-year corner didn’t become a starter until Year 4, then led the NFL in pass breakups with 19 in 2025, added four interceptions and held opposing quarterbacks to a 75.0 rating. With Jaycee Horn drawing plenty of attention, Jackson was tested often and handled it well.
If Chicago is going to move the ball, it will have to deal with a corner who has already shown he can shut down drives on third down.
So yes, the Bears will have their hands full with Carolina’s top names. But the game could just as easily tilt because of the players a lot of people aren’t talking about yet.
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