To measure the excitement over this Chicago Bears team would be like the old phrase, "trying to drink out of a fire hose."
Impossible! It ain't happening!
Just like any other die-hard fans, Bears fans have not been able to get enough content. From minicamp, to training camp, to the preseason ... we are finally here. We made it. The next step is actually the real thing.
And as the Bears get set to take on the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, many Bears fans are ready to watch them take Ben Johnson's big goal for the year and start with a bang. Johnson famously said he wants to be the highest-scoring offense in the history of the NFL, and that'll begin as Chicago travels to Carolina.
The Panthers have some intriguing players on their defense, but probably the most recognizable name is cornerback Jaycee Horn -- and that's only half of the problem the Panthers pose against the pass.
Horn is a fantastic player, but his counterpart is a guy that Bears fans need to know, too.
The Panthers' other starting cornerback, Mike Jackson, is a problem.
Panthers CB Mike Jackson could be more of a problem to Caleb Williams and the Bears than you think
Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and company won't be in for an easy task when going up against both Horn and Jackson. In fact, you could even give Jackson a label such as the most underrated cornerback in football right now.
The eighth-year pro has yet to make a Pro Bowl or earn any specific honors, but he has put together the two best seasons of his career in 2024 and 2025; both in Carolina.
When looking at the Bears' defense from 2025, we know good and well that they exceeded all expectations in the takeaway department. The Bears' secondary was full of ball hawks -- and that's exactly what Jackson brings to the table.
Just last season, Jackson came up with a career-high four interceptions while playing in all 17 games for the Panthers.
Not only that, but Jackson also led the entire NFL with a whopping 19 pass breakups.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that 99 percent of the folks reading, right now, had no idea that Jackson led the league in pass breakups.
Jackson is a Dennis Allen type, you could say. He's somebody who could very well wreck some drives for Caleb Williams. He's precisely the kind of player who might derail a good drive for the Bears, either forcing a punt or a field goal attempt.
As I said earlier, Jackson isn't as well-known as he should be. He not only did well in the pass-breakup and interception departments, but also allowed an opposing quarterback rating of 75.0 last season.
Because of all the attention focused on Horn, and trying to steer clear of him as much as possible, Jackson saw 100 targets come his way in 2025 (Horn had just 64). But you could argue Jackson was just as good as Horn was.
For Bears fans thinking this is going to be a relatively simple matchup, you should think again. If Williams and the offense come out and perform well against the Panthers' secondary, it should not be overstated how impressive that will be.
Read more: 4 winners (and 3 losers) from Bears' quiet 2026 offseason
The Bears have anything but a cake walk in Week 1, and Jackson is a big part of the reason why.
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