Many expected the Chicago Bears to be the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks‘ opening opponent this season. It would have been a matchup of two successful USC Trojan quarterbacks. With the excitement the Bears created last season, that would have been the best choice for Week 1. Roger Goodell and the NFL had other plans.
Instead, the Bears will be face a team that will also be linked to them, the Carolina Panthers. The two teams made a 2023 trade that gave the Bears Caleb Williams and a handful of other franchise-changing pieces. This last draft was the final part of the trade. The Bears got what they needed to successfully rebuild their franchise, and the Panthers got Bryce Young, who led the Panthers to the playoffs last season.
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This trade will always look lopsided and in the Bears’ favor, but still, within that, the Panthers came out more than just alright. This game will carry a lot of intrigue and maybe help further prove why the Bears won this trade.
Caleb Williams and this Bears young ascending offense gets to take on another young NFC team that is ascending. Making for a matchup full of intrigue and one that should kick off the season the right way. The Bears are not starting off the season in a primetime fashion, but they will have a lot of eyes on them in week 1. I expect Caleb Williams and company to show out in week 1 and start the season off with a bang.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Chicago Bears vs Carolina Panthers in Week 1 recalls major NFL trade