Bear Digest

Bears' injury report leaves no room for excuses against Commanders

The Chicago Bears will be close to full strength in Week 6, which means they should be close to their best.
Pete Martuneac|
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Chicago Bears

Through the first quarter of the 2025 NFL season, the Chicago Bears have followed nearly the exact script that was expected of them: a 2-2 record with second-year quarterback Caleb Williams showing clear improvement from last season. What makes their record impressive, however, is that they've done it while being severely short-handed on defense. Luckily for the Bears, that's set to change.

Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson is still out indefinitely with a groin injury, but the Bears appear to be getting major reinforcements ahead of their Week 6 showdown with the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football. According to their Saturday injury report, only defensive tackle Grady Jarrett has been ruled out as near full health returns to the team.

A healthy Bears team will face a short-handed Commanders offense

This is terrific news for the Bears, of course, but it also raises the stakes for their game against the Commanders. The Bears caught a major break ahead of Week 6 as Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown, two of Washington's best receivers, were ruled out early on Saturday. On the one hand, this could be said to even out the absence of Jaylon Johnson. On the other, however, this removes any excuse the Bears could hide behind should they lose this game.

Without those two receivers, the Commanders will rely heavily on Deebo Samuel, who himself is battling injuries and is officially questionable for Monday night. Zach Ertz is their only other reliable pass catcher, but Chicago's highly paid linebackers should be able to keep him in check.

Tremaine Edmund
Matt Marton-Imagn Images

This isn't to say that the Bears have to win this game. They're still the underdogs facing a well-coached team with a dual-threat quarterback on the road. Chicago's run defense remains a major problem while the Commanders' run game is averaging an NFL-leading 156.4 rushing yards per game. History is also against them, as the Bears have won just two games after a bye week since former head coach Lovie Smith was fired.

If the Bears are going to win this one, and they can, it will require their best effort and it will likely be a nail-biter to the very end. For the sake of Bears fans everywhere, hopefully this time they won't be the ones on the business end of some late game heroics. The infamous 'Fail Mary' that broke the 2024 Bears must be left behind for good come Tuesday morning.

Caleb William
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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