Chicago Bears' Most Notable Injury Updates After Conclusion of Mandatory Minicamp

The Chicago Bears' edge rushers room had a mixed week when it came to injury updates at mandatory minicamp.

Chicago Bears defensive lineman Shemar Turner. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

School's now out for the summer after the Chicago Bears capped off their three-day mandatory minicamp on Thursday afternoon with what was a light practice.

Chicago will now enjoy a six-week break between minicamp and the start of training camp, the start of which will fall some time in late July.

Just in case you missed anything from minicamp, we have a takeaways article for each day (Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3).

Over the course of the three days of mandatory minicamp, we got some injury updates on key players, both from beat writers on the ground at practice and head coach Ben Johnson.

Here's the most notable ones.

Shemar Turner still working his way back

Chicago Bears defensive tackle Shemar Turner. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

Turner, who is recovering from a torn ACL, has not practiced at all this spring, which isn't surprising considering he isn't nine months out from his injury yet. That date will come at the start of training camp.

Head coach Ben Johnson didn't provide an update on a timeline for Turner, only saying "we'll see," according to our Gene Chamberlain.

“We'll see with Shemar, this summer's going to be a big part for him," Johnson said. "We'll have a good six weeks off of see where he's at when we come back to camp."

Turner's status is big for the Bears, as they're relying on him to provide some help at edge rusher opposite Montez Sweat in a shaky group that also includes Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo, both of whom have questions like Turner.

Dayo Odeyingbo ahead of schedule

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley and Chicago Bears defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Speaking of Odeyingbo, who first returned to limited work at OTAs, the veteran was able to take part in team periods at minicamp and is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a torn Achilles.

"But in terms of Dayo, this is really a bonus for us," Johnson said. "We weren't quite sure when we started the offseason program that we would get him for any length of time. The fact that he's on the field, he wants to be out there, it's just another step forward in terms of him gaining confidence again and how he's moving... It's a step in the right direction for sure.”

Odeyingbo had a disappointing first season for Chicago after notching one sack in eight games before his injury. The Bears desperately need more out of him in 2026, so the fact he is already back to practicing is fantastic news.

T.J. Edwards returns to practice

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

Like Odeyingbo, Edwards is ahead of schedule after he was back at practice in a full capacity this week. Previously, the veteran had said he would be a full go by training camp, yet here we are.

This is a massively important development for Chicago, as he will once again have a key role in the defense following Tremaine Edmunds' departure.

Edwards will start next to Devin Bush, and D'Marco Jackson will serve as the LB3, giving the Bears a chance to have one of the better linebackers rooms in the NFL in 2026.

Kyler Gordon's injury continues to linger

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

We first found out about Gordon's unspecified soft-tissue injury in May and it would appear that same injury has kept the veteran sidelined from OTAs through minicamp.

The fact Gordon is dealing with an injury, and more specifically a soft-tissue injury, is an ominous sign when you consider his injury history. His head coach doesn't seem too thrilled about it, either.

"We spoke last year and neither one of us were really happy with how it went just from a perspective of being available to get to know each other," Johnson said. "I think he only played in three games when I look back at it, and so, you know, this spring was going to be a springboard for us to get going in the right direction."

"We're still working through that," Johnson added. "We're still trying to get that availability piece going. We know he's a good player when he's out there but trust level is a huge thing for this team, for this coaching staff, for the locker room and you can only develop that trust by being available."

None of this is going to impact Gordon's status as the Week 1 slot cornerback, but it's possible his extended absence this offseason will make his leash short if he struggles.

With Gordon and his potential backup, Cam Lewis, both sidelined, the Bears got an extended look at Jaylon Jones in the slot. Rookie Malik Muhammad received looks in the slot earlier this offseason but it isn't clear if he saw any during OTAs or minicamp.

D'Marco Jackson sits after early exit

Chicago Bears linebacker D'Marco Jackson. | David Banks-Imagn Images

Jackson left the practice field with a shoulder injury on Day 1 of mandatory minicamp and proceeded to sit out the next two sessions.

The severity of his injury isn't clear, as no update was provided. It's very possible the Bears are just being cautious. Nevertheless, he'll be someone to keep an eye on when training camp begins.

Cam Lewis still dealing with OTAs injury

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

Lewis, who was one of the Bears' free-agent signings and should offer depth at safety and slot corner, left an OTAs session with an injury during the first week and has not been able to take the field since.

With such a long absence, we're starting to grow at least a bit concerned about Lewis, although there has been nothing to suggest he's dealing with anything serious.

The rest of the wounded

Chicago Bears linebacker Ruben Hyppolite III. | David Banks-Imagn Images

Ruben Hyppolite, Keyshaun Elliott, Noah Sewell and Ozzy Trapilo did not take part in any of the team's three mandatory minicamp sessions.

Trapilo and Sewell were expected to be out, as we know they are still working their way back from torn patellar and Achilles injuries.

Unfortunately, we do not have updates on either Hyppolite or Elliott, but we do know neither one can afford to miss practice time. We'll see if they can get going at training camp.