On September 20, 2026, Cooper Rush was benched during a blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers, worsening the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback situation. The loss highlighted ongoing instability at the position.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams left the team's game against Minnesota on September 20 with a right leg injury and was carted off the field. Coach Ben Johnson announced on September 21 that Williams is week-to-week with a hamstring injury.
Prediction coverage for an NFL Week 2 matchup between the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings appeared across sports outlets on September 21, with betting markets showing the Vikings as a slight favorite. The game received standard pre-game analysis from sports media.
On 2026-09-13, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 65 yards and two more scores in a 59-37 victory over the Carolina Panthers. The game set a record as the highest-scoring season opener in NFL history.