Bear Digest

Bears' Pro Bowl cornerback may be nearing his return sooner than expected

Two-time Pro Bowler Jaylon Johnson looks to be in good health as the Chicago Bears prepare for their Week 2 preseason game.
Pete Martuneac|
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

After back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons, including a second-team All-Pro award, cornerback Jaylon Johnson has become a leader of the Chicago Bears' defense, but he has yet to participate in the first training camp with the new coaching staff. An injury he suffered during private workouts last month has held him out. While initially he was described as week-to-week, a concerning update came later when head coach Ben Johnson could only say that 'there's a scenario' that he would be ready for Week 1.

This obviously caused some consternation among the Bears fanbase, fearing that the team would be without their top cornerback in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings and their fearsome receiver corps. However, Jaylon Johnson was spotted at pregame warmups as the Bears prepared to take on the Buffalo Bills in their preseason Week 2 game, and he looks to be moving just about well enough to play some football.

The regular season is still 22 days away for the Bears, giving Johnson plenty of time to continue his recovery, and if this video is any indication, he may be closer to his return than the fans would have guessed. Hopefully that's the case, because across the field in Week 1 will be the other "JJ" in the NFC North, superstar receiver Justin Jefferson. Jefferson is dealing a mild hamstring injury of his own, but even at less than 100% he's a greater receiving threat than anyone else in the NFL.

If the Bears want to get out to a fast start and prove to everyone that they're ready to make a big leap forward in 2025, they're going to need to be at full strength right from the jump, especially on defense.

Jaylon Johnso
Kamil Krzaczynski-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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