The Chicago Bears will kick off their 2026 NFL season by facing one of the members of the NFL's Top 100 players of 2026. Find out more about this Week 1 matchup.
The NFL has started to unveil some of the members who will be a part of the Top 100 players of 2026.
Current NFL players vote to make the list, and this will be the 15th consecutive year with this format. Each episode will be three-to-five minutes and will premiere exclusively on X. Two new players will be revealed each weekday from June 22-Aug. 21. Then once the list gets to the top 10, one played will be unveiled each weekday until Sept. 4.
At No. 98 on the Top 100 Players of 2026, the league selected Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young. The Chicago Bears will open up their 2026 season on the road against Young and his Panthers.
If you looked just at the comments on the NFL's X post, you will see that Young's ranking definitely caused a mix of emotions. The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft finished his third season in the league with 3,011 yards, 23 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.
Those stats alone don't appear deserving to make it on the list of the NFL's best players, but Young showed up late in games. In Young's social media clip, the interviewer tells Young that he has led the most comeback drives out of all 32 quarterbacks since 2023.
"Yeah, I mean, that's what you play the game for," Young said.
Panther cornerback Jaycee Horn is shown after a clip of Young talking to his teammates on the sideline, and says, "I call him Ice Young because when we get in those moments, there's no quarterback I'd rather have."
Sounds a lot like what Caleb Williams' teammates would say about the Bears' quarterback, especially since he finished with seven fourth-quarter game-winning drives in the 2025 season, including the playoffs. Those clutch moments earned Williams the nickname "Iceman."
But Young has earned that reputation as well.
"His biggest thing, he's always, like, calm and collected. You know what I'm saying?" Rams safety Kam Curl said about Young. "He never lets the moment get too big."
Curl intercepted Williams in overtime during the Divisional Round matchup between the Bears and Rams at Soldier Field. The week before, Curl's Rams faced Young in the the first round of the playoffs. Young's Panthers had a 31-27 lead over the Rams with 2:39 remining in the game, but Carolina's defense couldn't prevent Matthew Stafford from scoring a touchdown to take a 34-31 lead with 38 seconds left in the game.
Young finished his playoff debut completing 21 of 40 passes for 264 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
The Panthers' quarterback defeated the Rams in Week 13 of the regular season. Young completed 15 of 20 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns in the 31-28 victory.
Young has played the Bears the last two seasons at Soldier Field and has yet to come away with a victory.
With the track record that Williams and Young have created for themselves so far in their NFL careers, the Week 1 matchup between the Bears and Panthers to kick off the 2026 season could come down to whoever has the ball last.
