Bears Share Troubling Update on Jaylon Johnson’s Injury Progress

The Chicago Bears have managed multiple injuries to several major contributors this offseason, but nothing catastrophic has befallen the organization as of yet.

However, it is unclear if Chicago’s luck will hold with regards to injured cornerback Jaylon Johnson. Head coach Ben Johnson offered an update to the timeline of the star DB’s return, which was both a bit of good and bad news, depending on perspective.

“I think there’s a scenario where he’ll be ready for Week 1,” Ben Johnson said, per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “That’s really the target date. I know he’s working hard and diligently to get there for that. With those types of injuries that he’s got, you just never know. … It’s still early in that process. I know he’s attacking that rehab really well.”

Johnson sustained a leg injury during offseason training away from the team, which relegated him to the non-football injury (NFI) list, where he remains.

Jaylon Johnson’s Injury Means Less Preseason Practice Under New DC, Possibility He Misses First Month of Season

Based on his coach’s comments, Johnson is unlikely to get much real work in beyond his rehab for the remainder of training camp and through the team’s three preseason games, the last of which falls on August 22 in Kansas City.

The best case scenario then is that Johnson will use the last couple of weeks ahead of the season-opener on Monday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings (September 8) as a ramp-up period. That will mean less on-field work with his teammates in a new defensive system under coordinator Dennis Allen.

That isn’t ideal, but Johnson is a two-time Pro Bowler and earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023. In other words, he should be able to handle less preparation better than his less talented counterparts.

The real issue is whether Johnson is healthy enough to come off the NFI list by the time Week 1 rolls around. If he can’t, that will mean the Bears play the first month of the season without their best defensive back.

Tyrique Stevenson Fighting in Camp to Retain Starting Job Alongside Jaylon Johnson

Losing Johnson for four games would hurt even more considering he’s the stalwart in a secondary with major competition happening during training camp, mainly for the CB2 job.

“I think it is completely up for grabs,” Allen told reporters Wednesday. “I think you saw it out there today, some different guys going out there with the ones. And I think that’s how you develop the very best defense that you can, is create as much competition as you can and let the tape make the decision.”

Tyrique Stevenson held the CB2 spot throughout a tumultuous year for the team, the defense and himself in 2024. However, he now faces threats to his starting role from the likes of Terell Smith, a fifth-round pick of Chicago’s a couple years ago, and Nahshon Wright, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys and more recently the Vikings.

Stevenson, a second-round pick in 2023, is one season out from a contract year and saw his play regress in meaningful ways during his sophomore NFL campaign.