Bear Digest

Jaquan Brisker and Bears secondary fired up by Jaylon Johnson return

Bears safety confident he'll be ready to play by Sunday and looks forward to his part in the coming return of the full Chicago secondary.
Gene Chamberlain|
Jaquan Brisker's status for Sunday is questionable but he's expecting to play.
Jaquan Brisker's status for Sunday is questionable but he's expecting to play. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Bears safety Jaquan Brisker has little doubt he’ll be ready to play by Sunday despite his back injury and designation as questionable to face the Vikings.

"I feel good, I feel good," said Brisker, who had only one day of limited practice this week. "Be ready to go on Sunday."

Brisker can’t be blamed for wanting to be on the field, especially after he finally sees the secondary beginning to look the way it was intended when training camp began.

Getting cornerback Jaylon Johnson back on the practice field on a limited basis Friday as he tries to get in shape for a future return from IR is a huge lift, and Kyler Gordon's return from injury soon will take place, as well.

"I feel like me and KB (Kevin Byard) and the rest of the guys have done a great job of keeping the secondary together, keeping the swag going, the passion going," Brisker said. "Coach Al (Harris) and the other coaches have done a great job of keeping the ball on our mind. And just the way we’ve been going through practice, on the field and off the field, I feel like our chemistry has grown, especially from over the years.

"I feel like this is the closest we have been as a secondary. It has honestly been amazing. For us to get guys back or things like that, it just adds more fuel to the fire."

Johnson's 21-day window open for reinstatement from injured reserve definitely meant a lift morale-wise.

They didn't have Johnson in the first game of the year against the Vikings, then only had him on the field for about a half of the second game before he suffered a groin injury requiring surgery.

"Seeing Jaylon out there, it was amazing," Brisker said. "I know what he's been through. We've been working hard since (offseason training in) Vegas. And obviously, I left before he got hurt there. And obviously, when he got hurt against Detroit, that happened right in front of my face.

"But to see him overcome that journey and see him back on the field smiling, touching grass, it was amazing."

Johnson's impact Friday wasn’t necessarily on the field, as he is focusing on getting back in playing shape. Still, it was impactful another way.

"Yeah, he was talking a lot," Brisker said. "He talks a lot when he comes into the locker room. We talk every day, all the time, but obviously when he's out there on that field, he was definitely talking.

“He was just happy to be on the grass, just trying to catch (up) and get into his rhythm, but just amazing to see (No.) 1 out there really."

It could be even more amazing when he's on the field in a game, along with Gordon, Brisker, Tyrique Stevenson, Byard and the rest of the secondary.

Then will come the interesting part for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. They’ve since brought in C.J. Gardner-Johnson and still have Nahshon Wright and Nick McCloud. Wright has three interceptions, a pick-6 and two fumble recoveries.

Depth won’t be the problem then but finding a way to use them all could be.

That’s still in the near future, though. Brisker has something else on his mind for Sunday in Minnesota.

“It's a big,  I mean, every single game is huge, and this is another big game for us, especially as a divisional game,” Brisker said. “They beat us the first time. We're looking to beat them and get it back even, and we're looking for our first divisional win.’

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.