Chicago Bears' Biggest Injury Concerns Following the First Week of OTAs

The Chicago Bears' first week of OTAs is now in the books. Here's a list of the biggest injury concerns based on news coming out of the open session.

Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon. | David Banks-Imagn Images

If the Chicago Bears want to take that next step to a Super Bowl in 2026, the defense improving will be crucial.

Last season, the Bears didn't really do anything well on that side of the ball other than pile up turnovers. Chicago ranked 29th in total yards allowed, 22nd in passing yards, 27th in rushing yards and 23rd in points.

One reason the Bears struggled in pass defense was because of their injuries at cornerback. The team missed both Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson for a large chunk of the season, and neither one was particularly effective when actually on the field.

Looking ahead to 2026, there is already a concern with Gordon, who has had issues staying healthy his entire career.

We'll go over that and more as we take a look at the biggest injury concerns from the first week of Bears OTAs.

Kyler Gordon

Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon. | Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

The veteran wasn't taking part fully at the open OTAs practice last week due to injury. The good news is, Gordon was out there on a limited basis before going inside during team drills, so it doesn't appear he's dealing with anything significant.

That said, any Gordon injury is notable because of the issues he has had during his career, and especially in 2025, when he appeared in just three regular-season games.

Earlier this month, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported Gordon was dealing with a soft-tissue injury, which has been an all-too-common issue for the 26-year-old.

"And nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon, who sources said wasn’t with the team at the outset of the offseason program, has since been out with a soft-tissue injury," Biggs wrote on May 22.

It's too early to panic about Gordon, but this is am ominous sign for him nonetheless.

Malik Muhammad

Chicago Bears defensive back Malik Muhammad. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Muhammad, who is expected to compete for a starting job on the outside with Tyrique Stevenson and could provide depth in the slot, was not spotted at practice on Thursday and it remains unclear what he's dealing with exactly.

Maybe it wasn't injury-related, but Bear Report noted that Montez Sweat was the Bears' only "non-injured absence" for the session.

We got a stark reminder of just how important Muhammad could be after Stevenson got cooked on a pair of deep balls at OTAs, one to Zavion Thomas and another to Rome Odunze.

Cam Lewis

Former Buffalo Bills cornerback Cam Lewis. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Yes, another defensive back.

Lewis was seen leaving the Thursday session early with trainers, which is usually a sign of an injury.

Lewis was signed by the Bears in free agency and is expected to at least be under consideration to back up Gordon in the slot.

He also provides depth at safety, where the Bears are slated to have a rookie in Dillon Thieneman starting. Lewis is the insurance policy just in case the rookie struggles in his transition to the NFL.

Jonah Jackson

Chicago Bears guard Jonah Jackson. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

Jackson, who is one of the Bears' starting guards, was spotted on the practice field for the Thursday session but did not take part fully.

The veteran had a three-year stretch from 2022 to 2024 when he missed at least a handful of games in each campaign due to injury, so he does have an injury history that makes his current absence at least somewhat concerning.

The expected absences

Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

T.J. Edwards, Ozzy Trapilo and Dayo Odeyingbo were the players who were expected absences, as all three are recovering from serious injuries.

Edwards is coming back from a fractured fibula and is expected to be ready to go by training camp. Odeyingbo is coming back from a torn Achilles and his status for the start of the season remains up in the air.

Last but certainly not least, we have Trapilo, who is likely to need a large chunk of the year to get back on the field after he came down with his torn patellar tendon during the 2025 playoffs.

With an unproven group opposite Sweat that also includes Austin Booker and Shemar Turner, the Bears need all hands on deck at edge rusher, so Odeyingbo's status is important.

Chicago has a solid replacement option for Edwards in D'Marco Jackson in the event the veteran suffers a setback, but that will leave the Bears with shaky depth options.

Meanwhile, Braxton Jones is the favorite to replace Trapilo at left tackle. We actually feel good about that situation after head coach Ben Johnson revealed how motivated Jones is to rebound after a season in which he was benched. Another reason for optimism is Jones will be two years removed from a significant injury.