Bears make tough injury decision with standout CB Jaylon Johnson and more defensive starters may suffer the same fate
It’s the smart decision to make.
Week 2 was not kind to the Chicago Bears in any form or fashion. Not only did the team lose in humiliating fashion to the Detroit Lions, the defense also suffered some major losses again.
Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson and linebacker T.J. Edwards each left the game after reaggravating injuries that already forced them to miss Week 1.
“We’ll see the extent of their injuries, but unknown right now,” head coach Ben Johnson said after the game. “Seemed like a reaggravation of what they had before going into the game.”
It was a disappointing sight to see considering the boost both players were expected to bring upon their return. Instead, the unit gave up 52 points and over 500 yards of total offense. And considering the extent of those injuries, the Bears should consider making some tough calls.
Jaylon Johnson’s injury goes from bad to worse, and a similar fate could come for two other starters if the team isn’t careful
Going back to Johnson’s injury, which he revealed to be pretty significant, the Bears rolled the dice in getting him back on the field so soon, even if he was pushing to return. As a result, Johnson is now out indefinitely and the team will decide whether surgery is necessary, and how long Johnson will be sidelined, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Jordan Schultz later added that surgery will be required, which would force Johnson to miss potentially the entire 2025 season. A late season return is possible if the Bears are still in contention despite the 0-2 start.
This is obviously a big blow that could have been avoided and the result of this situation could force the team to be cautious with two other starters.
It’s not just Johnson and Edwards. The Bears were also without starting nickel Kyler Gordon during the first two games of the season after he reaggravated a hamstring injury ahead of the Week 1 matchup. Gordon then missed all three days of practice ahead of Week 2.
Looking at the schedule, the Bears have two games against the Dallas Cowboys and the Las Vegas Raiders before the Week 5 bye, and will play on Monday night in Week 6 against the Washington Commanders to start a long stretch of the season.
The ideal decision might be to rest Edwards and Gordon through the bye week to make sure both players are fully healthy before returning to action. It’s a tough decision to make, because the unit has clearly been struggling without them on the field.
With Gordon and Edwards dealing with soft tissue injuries, the team will likely practice both players in limited participation anyways and then try to force them back on the game field. As for Johnson, this is the worst news the Bears could have possibly received.
It’s way to early in the season, even with an 0-2 start, to be rolling the dice any further with these other two injuries to two other impactful players on this roster.
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