Since Jaylon Johnson went down and stayed down early on in the Chicago Bears’ Week 2 loss to the Detroit Lions, fans in the Windy City have been holding their breath, hoping that their All-Pro cornerback wouldn’t end up staring down a worst-case scenario.
On Saturday, the Bears provided an update on Jaylon Johnson that is a classic case of Good News, Bad News. As any sane human being would, let’s start with the bad news.
Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Jaylon Johnson is officially out indefinitely and will be heading to the IR with a groin injury he sustained in that blowout loss in Detroit. That means Johnson will be sidelined for at least the next four games, which is a major problem for a Bears passing defense that was peppered like an unseasoned steak last Sunday by Jared Goff and co. at Ford Field.
It doesn’t help matters that nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon has yet to suit up this season, but what was expected to be the strength of the Chicago Bears defense has suddenly become it’s most vulnerable unit, and they’ll face a daunting challenge on Sunday when Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and the Dallas Cowboys come to town. Nahshon Wright, Tyrique Stevenson and Nick McCloud will be the ones carrying the burden now, and currently, they’re the 70th, 86th and 93rd ranked cornerbacks in the NFL respectively, according to Pro Football Focus.
Not ideal. But remember, there is a sliver of good news here, too.
Door Remains Open For Jaylon Johnson to Return in 2025
Now sure, it’s a huge problem that the earliest Jaylon Johnson could return to action would be for an October 26th date with the Baltimore Ravens. But remember, this could be worse news. There was a scenario where Johnson could’ve immediately opted for a surgery, which would’ve ended his season, no questions asked. And while that’s still a possibility, depending on how the next five weeks of rehab go, we may get an opportunity to see Jaylon Johnson again this season.
“It leaves open the possibility Johnson’s injury will heal enough for him to play later this year,” writes Gene Chamberlain of Sports Illustrated. “It lets them buy time. It still leaves plenty of time for recovery toward next year if it turns out he needs to have surgery.”
In addition to how he’s feeling by late-October, the decision of whether or not to bring Jaylon Johnson back this season will have something to do with how healthy the Bears postseason chances are at that time. Right now, Chicago’s Playoff hopes are in critical condition, but with a loss on Sunday to Dallas, those hopes would officially be on life support, and at that point, Johnson might be better served to opt for surgery and start getting ready for the 2026 season.