Bear Digest

Another Linebacker Addition for Bears

Bears waive Buddy Johnson and add former Eagles linebacker Davion Taylor.
Another Linebacker Addition for Bears
Another Linebacker Addition for Bears

In this story:


The revolving door that has become the Bears backup linebacker group continues to spin.

Out the door Thursday went Buddy Johnson after just one preseason game. The Bears have signed former Eagles linebacker Davion Taylor as a replacement on the roster.

Taylor is a 6-foot-1, 230-pound third-round draft pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020 and he has made seven NFL starts while playing in 21 games. In 2021, Taylor made 41 tackles and forced two fumbles for the Eagles, and he has 51 career tackles.

Taylor played in nine games in 2021 and then suffered a knee injury bad enough to end his season. He tore an MCL, and it was reportedly severe enough that it was torn off the bone. So he had to have surgery when MCL injuries often require time and not medical procedures to hear.

The Eagles had cut Taylor last year after training camp, then brought him back to their practice squad and kept him there all last year. They also signed him to a futures contract this year but the 25-year-old was waived a week and a half ago.

Johnson was signed by the Bears on reporting day for camp and had two tackles plus an assist on a special teams tackle in the first preseason game. He was a fourth-round pick by the Steelers in 2021 and was waived injured by the Bears.

The Bears were still without starting linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and backup DeMarquis Gates at Wednesday's practice in Indianapolis due to injuries. 

At different times during camp, they've also been without backup Dylan Cole.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations


Published
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.