The Chicago Bears are eyeing a former Arizona Cardinals third-round draft pick to reinforce their cornerback room with one of their starters on the injury report ahead of Monday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3.
According to the NFL’s daily transaction wire, the Bears hosted former Cardinals cornerback Elijah Jones for an official roster workout on Thursday, September 24.
Jones went 90th overall to the Cardinals in the 2024 NFL draft after tallying a career-best five interceptions and eight pass deflections over just nine games in his final season at Boston College. During the final game of the preseason, though, he sustained an ankle injury that kept him off the field for his entire rookie season.
Jones returned and earned a depth role on the Cardinals’ 2025 roster, but he played just 105 total snaps in his second season, with more than two-thirds of them coming on special teams. Ultimately, the Cardinals cut him loose during August’s roster cuts.
The Bears did not immediately sign Jones after his tryout, but they could circle back later in the week if they have depth concerns for Monday’s game against the Eagles.
Tyrique Stevenson Starts Week 3 as ‘DNP’ for Bears
The Bears are not dealing with an abundance of cornerback injuries at the onset of Week 3, but they do have starter Tyrique Stevenson in apparent danger of not playing against the Eagles due to the hamstring injury that knocked him out of Week 2’s loss.
After a brutal Week 1 performance, Stevenson bounced back against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2 and largely locked down superstar Justin Jefferson in coverage, but it ended on a sour note when a hamstring injury forced him to exit in the fourth quarter.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson classified Stevenson’s status as “week-to-week” when asked earlier this week, but the Bears officially marked him down as a “DNP” in Thursday’s practice estimation on the injury report, which is to say that they did not practice but that Stevenson would not have participated if they had.
The good news is that Stevenson has two more actual practices on Friday and Saturday to potentially make progress toward returning from his injury. If his non-participation carries over into multiple days, though, there is a good chance that the Bears will need another cornerback to start on the perimeter opposite Jaylon Johnson on Monday.
McCloud isn’t likely a candidate to fill that role for the Bears, but he could add depth with experience in Dennis Allen’s system if they decide to re-sign him.
‘Nothing to Add’ on Kyler Gordon’s Return Timeline
Stevenson might be the only cornerback on the injury report heading into the Bears’ second practice of Week 3, but they are also still without another one of their intended starters in slot cornerback Kyler Gordon, who is still on the PUP list with a calf injury.
Gordon missed his first opportunity to come back to practice this week. A new NFL rule allows players on the PUP list to return to practice after two games even though they must miss a minimum of four games before they can rejoin the active roster.
The Bears took advantage of that with defensive end Shemar Turner and linebacker Noah Sewell, but Gordon evidently wasn’t ready to start practicing again.
Johnson also told reporters Wednesday that he had “nothing to add” about Gordon’s status, leaving the 26-year-old cornerback’s return shrouded in uncertainty.
Bears Eyeing Ex-Cardinals 3rd-Round Cornerback Ahead of MNF