Bad news turned to, potentially, hopeful news for Chicago Bears fans. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Bears CB Jaylon Johnson will fly to Philadelphia early next week to meet with Dr. William Meyers of the Vincera Institute, with the plan being to get core muscle surgery. If that does indeed happen, Johnson could return during the second half of the season.
During Chicago’s Week 2 loss to the Lions, Johnson suffered a serious groin injury. He was down on the field for some time before exiting, and it was reported by Rapoport just a few days ago that Johnson was being placed on Injured Reserve (IR) by the Bears and there was no timeline on his return. The news that he could return later this season is a hugely positive update.
Earlier this summer, Johnson suffered a groin injury during offseason training which he later revealed was a torn adductor off a pelvic bone. This injury kept him off the field during all of training camp and Week 1 and he was listed as questionable heading into Week 2, though he did end up playing. While Bears head coach Ben Johnson initially said Johnson’s injury in Week 2 was a re-aggravation of this injury, he later corrected this, saying it was a new injury.
CB Jaylon Johnson is the Chicago Bears’ Best Defensive Player
Quinn Harris/GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – OCTOBER 06: Kyler Gordon #6 and Jaylon Johnson #1 of the Chicago Bears celebrate a third down stop against the Carolina Panthers at Soldier Field on October 06, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Johnson’s absence is a huge loss for a Chicago team in need of quality defenders. Johnson was named a first-team All-Pro in 2023 and 2024, making the Pro Bowl in each of those seasons as well. Between those two All-Pro seasons, Johnson had 89 tackles, six interceptions, 18 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and a pick six. He’s the linchpin of the Bears defense.
A former second-round pick out of Utah in 2020, Johnson developed into one of the most versatile lockdown cornerbacks in the league. He can play multiple schemes and usually draws the top matchup on the other side, going head-to-head with the opposing offense’s top receiver.
Without him, this Chicago defense doesn’t have the same bite. If he does return midway through the season, it would be a massive boost to the secondary.
The Chicago Bears Defense is Struggling Mightily
Through two games, the Bears defense is giving up 39.5 points per game and 387 yards of total offense per game. Both figures rank in the bottom five across the entire league, with their points per game figure being the league’s worst mark.
Much of that is due to the Lions putting up 52 points on the Bears in Week 2, an abysmal performance that Chicago needs to rebound from this week. But in the fourth quarter of their season-opening game against the Vikings, Minnesota put up 21 points and notched a furious comeback win. The Vikings scored six total points in Week 2 against the Falcons.
All of the offseason chatter around the Bears was with new head coach Ben Johnson and how he would work with 2024 No. 1 overall pick QB Caleb Williams. But through two games, at least, the biggest story is the regression of the Chicago defense.
Bears CB Jaylon Johnson Gets Big Update on Injury Timeline