The Chicago Bears opened the 2026 season with a 59-37 rout of the Carolina Panthers, piling up 291 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns behind a message that has become central to Ben Johnson’s offense: skill-position players must block if they expect opportunities with the football.
Johnson’s standard reaches every offensive role
Chicago’s offensive meeting rooms operate around the phrase “no block, no rock,” a principle Johnson brought with him from his time as a Miami Dolphins position coach. The message is straightforward: receivers, tight ends and other skill players earn touches by doing the physical work away from the ball.
Second-year receiver Jahdae Walker provided a clear example in the win at Carolina. Late in the game, Walker drove Panthers cornerback Will Lee III to the ground with a block that helped Kalif Raymond gain yards just short of a first down. Walker was left catching his breath after the play, but Johnson noticed the effort.
Five snaps later, Johnson called for Walker, an undrafted player who made Chicago’s roster in 2025, to receive a reward. Walker caught a 1-yard touchdown pass, becoming the fifth Bears player to score in the opener.
Walker played 34 offensive snaps and contributed as a blocker on 33 of them. He said the team’s internal standard makes the assignment clear for everyone seeking the ball.
“Coach says, ‘no block, no rock,’ and it gets everybody going because we all want the ball,” Walker said. “You have to buy in or you will be left behind.”
- Walker caught a 1-yard touchdown after his late-game blocking work.
- Star tight end Colston Loveland had no receptions against Carolina but logged 27 run-blocking snaps.
- Rookie receiver Zavion Thomas is among the younger skill players expected to embrace the same approach.
- Johnson’s standard applies throughout the offensive depth chart, not only to reserve players.
Historic rushing production fuels opening-week victory
The Bears’ 291-yard ground attack produced six touchdowns, the highest rushing-touchdown total in an NFL season opener since the Canton Bulldogs scored six in 1922. Chicago had not rushed for that many yards in a game since gaining 302 in a 27-0 victory over the Denver Broncos in 1984.
D’Andre Swift led the way with 124 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Kyle Monangai added 100 yards and a touchdown, making Swift and Monangai the first pair of Bears teammates to each reach 100 rushing yards in a season opener. Quarterback Caleb Williams ran for 65 yards and scored twice on the ground, his first NFL game with multiple rushing touchdowns.
Swift’s showing came after he signed a three-year, $33.75 million contract extension. Johnson called the running back “vital” to Chicago’s offense, while emphasizing that successful runs require far more than the runner himself.
Chicago’s 70-play performance also marked the second time under Johnson that the offense has surpassed 500 total yards. The other came in a 47-42 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in November 2025, when the Bears rushed for 283 yards. Before Johnson’s tenure, Chicago had recorded only two 500-yard offensive games across the preceding 25 seasons and 413 games.
Monangai’s long score captured the offensive identity
Johnson said his favorite play from the Carolina game was Monangai’s 61-yard touchdown run, which came one play after the Panthers turned the ball over on downs. The coach’s appreciation went beyond Monangai maintaining his balance and outrunning Carolina defenders.
Raymond and tight end Cole Kmet opened a path to the second level, while Walker stayed alongside Monangai and blocked Panthers outside linebacker Princely Umanmielen. Those efforts helped turn the run into a touchdown.
“A lot of our smaller guys were getting downhill and making big things happen in the running game, and those plays turned into big runs,” Johnson said.
The Bears believe that type of collective work will be necessary as they develop their identity through the opening quarter of the season. Chicago finished last regular season with 127 explosive plays, defined by the team as runs of at least 10 yards or completions of at least 20 yards, and matching or exceeding that total will require contributions from every offensive player.
Vikings present the next test
Chicago will bring its blocking-first approach back to Soldier Field on Sunday, when the Bears host the Minnesota Vikings. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Fox.
