Defensive backs Dillon Thieneman and Malik Muhammad II both earned praise from coach Ben Johnson following their NFL debuts Sunday in Charlotte.

"Dillon had a great start to his career," Johnson told reporters Monday. "I thought he was all over the field … did a great job stopping the football when he had an opportunity to do so."

"Malik Muhammad, he played really good football for his first day as well. Sticky in coverage, competed his tail off, fearless — I was really proud of what he put on tape."

Less than five months after they were drafted, the pair of rookies not only played significant snaps against the Panthers, but also each made impact plays that helped the Bears secure their historic season-opening victory.

Muhammad, who started at nickel back and played 76% of the defensive snaps, recorded the defense's first takeaway of the season with an interception to prevent the Panthers from scoring before halftime and preserve the Bears' 31-24 lead.

With 11 seconds left in the half on first-and-10 from the Carolina 40-yard line, Muhammad laid out to intercept quarterback Bryce Young's pass intended for receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. that would have set Carolina up in Bears territory.

Muhammad recognized the route concept from the week of preparation, and once he saw the ball leave Young's hand, he knew he'd have an opportunity to dive for the ball.

"Just knowing the situation and knowing what they like to run out of certain formations and what are their top concepts, that really helped me on that play," Muhammad said. "And then really just reading [Horn], reading a stem, reading his tendencies.

"But then just being a ball player. At the end of the day, you've got to be a ball player."

The defense's second takeaway came on the first play of the fourth quarter when Young completed a deep pass across the middle to receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Thieneman flew in from 10 yards away to wrap up the receiver, allowing cornerback Jaylon Johnson to come from behind, punch the ball out and force a fumble that linebacker Devin Bush recovered.

"I was rotating to the post and then breaking down, just tracking the ball and just shot my shot, and then Jaylon was able to get the ball out," Thieneman said. "We're all celebrating. That was really cool."

The rookies also made a handful of other crucial plays, including a third-quarter fourth-down stop when Muhammad blanketed McMillan on a throw from Young down the left sideline, forcing a turnover on downs and setting up running back Kyle Monangai's 61-yard touchdown run that put the Bears up two scores.

Thieneman showed his versatility by first recording a pass defensed in the first quarter when he had tight coverage on tight end Mitchell Evans in the end zone, then delivering a QB hit on Young later in the game to force an incompletion. He also led the Bears with 10 total tackles, including two on special teams.

While neither Muhammad nor Thieneman appeared to have first-game jitters, both players said their pregame nerves were certainly there. From the moment they arrived at Bank of America Stadium, they felt a different energy than in preseason games, but by the second drive, they felt fully settled in.

"When we came out for warm-ups — we do the pat-and-go stuff — we got booed by the crowd," Thieneman said, "and that was honestly pretty cool. I feel the moment kind of hit there."

"You could definitely tell that because the stakes are higher and they actually count. The speed of the game picked up from the preseason," Muhammad added. "And I know there's less fans than in college, less seating than college, but it still was so loud.

"And there were a lot of our fans, so I was surprised."

For Muhammad and Thieneman, witnessing each other's successes was as rewarding as experiencing their own.

While the pair had never played together before this spring, Muhammad has been a fan of Thieneman's game since he made the Freshman All-American team in 2023 while at Purdue.

"When I watched DT's tape as a freshman, I was amazed, because he was going up and picking the ball off in the middle of the field, flying around, making big hits," Muhammad said. "So I've always been a fan of DT. DT was definitely one of those guys who I was a fan of throughout my whole college career."

Once rookie minicamp kicked off May 8, Muhammad gravitated toward Thieneman's work ethic.

"He was a first-round pick," Muhammad said. "So I made a promise to myself that I'm not leaving the weight room or I'm not leaving the field until DT leaves. Since we got here, we've just been getting extra work together. We're just always doing it. I'm always making sure if DT hasn't left yet, I'm not leaving."

Thieneman's work ethic stood out to the Bears in the pre-draft process and became more apparent once the Oregon product arrived at Halas Hall the day after he was drafted. Before the team's joint practice with the Titans last month, Johnson even joked that he didn't know what Thieneman's voice sounded like.

When Johnson awarded Thieneman the first game ball of the season in the locker room after Sunday's win, the rookie soaked up the moment but hesitated to speak. But after his teammates urged him, Thieneman thanked them and shifted the focus to next week.

As he stepped back from the middle of the locker room, he heard one of the players shout, "he speaks!" While Thieneman is naturally on the quieter side, his "man of few words" mindset is by design.

"I just put my head down, really, because I feel like actions speak louder than what words do, especially for rookies," Thieneman said. "So I feel like to earn my respect, I had to first prove it on the field, and then you would have taken a bigger role after that."

Being handed a game ball by Johnson proved to Thieneman that his approach is paying off.

"It was good, because I feel like there were definitely times throughout camp where it was like, make mistakes or not, not going well here and there," Thieneman said. "I was like, 'all right, am I doing what I'm supposed to? Like, am I staying on track?' And then you go out there and have that game and hear what the coaches were saying afterward, which was really good."

Both rookies understand the gravity of Johnson's complimentary words, yet they know the team's focus has already shifted from Week 1 to Week 2. There's no more time to bask in post-win glory.

While both are happy with their NFL debuts, Muhammad and Thieneman are eager to correct their mistakes and continue earning the trust of both coaches and teammates as they prepare for Sunday's home opener versus the Vikings.

"Just going out there and showing that I belong, that I'm not just a typical rookie," Muhammad said of his mindset moving forward. "I'm gonna make mistakes, but I can bounce back and still have a good game. So now I've just got to be consistent and piggyback off of that."