Key Observations From the Chicago Bears' Snap Count Against Carolina Panthers

There were a few significant developments in the snap count department in the Bears' blowout Week 1 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Sep 13, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson looks on from the sideline in the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Chicago Bears couldn't have gotten off to a more exciting start to the season on the offensive side of the ball. Their offense already looks to be in midseason form after their 59-37 victory, which should strike fear into opposing defenses and terrify the rest of the NFC North.

Unfortunately, they could've played a lot better on defense. While they still showed a knack for takeaways, that was virtually the only positive development that could be gleaned (aside from the performances of two rookies in the secondary) against Carolina.

There were, however, a few significant takeaways from the snap counts on both offense and defense.

Offensive snap counts

Player, position	Snap count, percentage of snaps
Caleb Williams, QB	75, 100%
Joe Thuney, OL	75, 100%
Darnell Wright, OL	75, 100%
Jonah Jackson, OL	75, 100%
Garrett Bradbury, OL	75, 100%
Colston Loveland, TE	65, 87%
Braxton Jones, OL	56, 75%
Luther Burden III, WR	55, 73%
Kalif Raymond, WR	45, 60%
Cole Kmet, TE	43, 57%
D'Andre Swift, RB	43, 57%
Rome Odunze, WR	36, 48%
Jahdae Walker, WR	34, 45%
Kyle Monangai, RB	32, 43%
Theo Benedet, OL	19, 25%
Sam Roush, TE	12, 16%
Kaden Davis, WR	10, 13%

Oberservations

Aug 29, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Zavion Thomas (81) makes a catch against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The most glaring observation from the offensive side of the ball was the fact that receiver Zavion Thomas didn't record a single offensive snap. The Bears' third-round selection was one of the team's top training camp standouts before suffering a knee injury two weeks into camp.

Thomas showed a ton of promise in the preseason finale against Tennessee, but the team still opted to give practice squad call-up (and fellow preseason standout) Kaden Davis ten snaps over him against the Panthers. He also didn't make any waves in the return game, with the Panthers (potentially intentionally?) angling the kicks toward Josh Blackwell instead.

There's no need to sound the alarm with Thomas' lack of usage at this point, though. We saw last season that the coaching staff intends to take it slow with the rookies. The same sentiment applies to fellow third-round selection Sam Roush. The weekly game script will probably dictate how much impact he will have through 13-personnel usage (although he clearly won't be cracking the 12-personnel lineup anytime soon, with Cole Kmet playing a key role on offense through his 43 snaps).

Sep 13, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (85) catches the ball for a touchdown in the second quarter against the Carolina Panthersat Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The receiver snap counts are also interesting, with Kalif Raymond not only playing the second-most snaps (45), but also demanding the highest target share by a wide margin. Rome Odunze being on a snap count (36 snaps) will probably change that, but Raymond will remain heavily involved. While he won't be a target hog, Jahdae Walker's blocking ability will keep him involved (34 snaps) as well.

Notably, Theo Benedet held his own in relief of Braxton Jones for many of his 19 snaps at left tackle after Jones briefly got hurt. While the left side did have more trouble with the Panthers' defensive front than the right in pass protection (no surprise there), there wasn't a substantial drop-off with him in the lineup.

Also, Colston Loveland with 0 catches and only 2 targets across 65 snaps? It's safe to assume that won't happen too often this season.

Defensive snap counts

Player, position	Snap count, percentage of snaps
Dillon Thieneman, S	68, 100%
T.J. Edwards, LB	68, 100%
Jaylon Johnson, CB	65, 96%
Cam Lewis, DB	65, 96%
Devin Bush, LB	65, 96%
Tyrique Stevenson, CB	54, 79%
Malik Muhammad II, CB	52, 76%
Grady Jarrett, DT	44, 65%
Dayo Odeyingbo, DL	43, 63%
Montez Sweat, DE	43, 63%
Austin Booker, DE	40, 59%
Kentavius Street, DT	29, 43%
Neville Gallimore, DT	29, 43%
James Lynch, DT	22, 32%
Jordan van den Berg, DT	22, 32%
D'Marco Jackson, LB	20, 29%
Elijah Hicks, S	9, 13%
Daniel Hardy, DE	7, 10%
Skyler Thomas, S	3, 4%

Observations

Aug 22, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Bears defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg (96) makes a tackle against Cincinnati Bengals running back Kentrel Bullock (31) during the second quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Let's talk about the elephant in the room right off the bat. Jordan van den Berg didn't make any splashy plays, but that makes sense when you consider the fact that he was tied for the fifth-fewest snaps (22) among DTs. Like the two rookies I mentioned above, his role should expand as the season progresses.

Just how even the DT snap counts are (with four players playing between 22 and 29 snaps) stands out as the most glaring aspect here. They have a healthy rotation (which includes Dayo Odeyingbo, who moved inside on a handful of passing downs) along the interior.

Dillon Thieneman being on the field for every defensive snap (68) is an incredibly positive development for the Bears. The fact that he looked the part against both the run and the pass is far more promising, though. He's going to have a massive impact this season, and should only get better from here.

Sep 13, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) runs with the ball while defended by Chicago Bears safety Dillon Thieneman (31) in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was also a bit surprising to see T.J. Edwards playing every defensive snap. I knew he'd play a key role in run support, but he's increasingly become a liability against the pass over the past few years. I expected D'Marco Jackson (20 snaps) to play a bigger role on passing downs this season (and he still might as the season progresses), but Edwards held his own against Carolina.

Malik Muhammad II also deserves a shout-out for how well he performed against the Panthers. He did enough to lock in a starting job (whether in the slot or his more natural position on the perimeter once Kyler Gordon returns) for the rest of the season. He was significantly more impactful over his 52 snaps than Tyrique Stevenson was over his 54. Stevenson unfortunately was a liability from the first snap onward.