Why Bears' major defensive concerns after Week 1 win are not an overreaction

The Chicago Bears demolished the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, winning 59-37 in a barnburner that was a fantastic way to start the season for the Chicago offense.

On the other side of the ball, there are some concerns. The defense gave up 37 points; that's not good at all. Chicago did win, but against tougher opponents, there is reason to have some concern. Is that concern actually warranted?

In Dan Graziano of ESPN's opinion, it is. The worries about the Bears' defense are not an overreaction. The reason why is simple: giving up 37 points to the Panthers, a more middle-of-the-pack offense, doesn't bode well for their tougher matchups down the line.

Why concerns over Bears' defense are not an overreaction

"The Bears are going to have to set the scoring record with the state of their defense... Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION," Graziano writes. "The concerns about Chicago's defense entering the season were legitimate."

This defensive performance from the Bears was very poor. They gave up 37 points, the third-most in the NFL, behind the Panthers' defense, which Ben Johnson and company eviscerated, and the Indianapolis Colts' defense, thanks to Lamar Jackson.

Carolina's offense isn't anything great, and yet they managed to put together one of the best offensive showings of Week 1.

Bryce Young threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns with one interception and two sacks taken. The Panthers ran the ball 22 times for 125 yards, which is 5.7 yards per carry.

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That's a worrying sign, as if the Bears are down and trying to play catch-up, it's going to be difficult to accomplish such a comeback if the run defense is giving up more than half the yards needed to get a first down on every play.

Coming into the 2026 season, there was plenty of concern about this Bears defense. Coby Bryant's injury, the loss of Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard in free agency, and the questionable defensive line depth.

After one game, those fears were confirmed. While it's still too soon to call this Bears defense one of the worst in the league, it's not too early to call it a liability- one that opposing teams can exploit as the year moves along.

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