This weekend in the NFL is all about cuts as every team attempts to whittle its roster down to an initial 53-man group, but those moves also create opportunities for teams like the Chicago Bears battling injuries to bolster some hard-hit position groups.
Injuries have smashed few units anywhere in the league harder than they’ve hit the Bears secondary, where cornerback Kyler Gordon remains out indefinitely with a soft-tissue injury and safety Coby Bryant could miss the entire season after undergoing knee surgery.
But that’s not it for DBs in the Windy City. Jaylon Johnson suffered an arm injury during joint practice with the Tennessee Titans late last week, while Tyrique Stevenson and Jaylon Jones have each missed meaningful amounts of work with health issues of their own in recent weeks.
Despite all that, the Bears made the decision to cut reserve cornerback Terell Smith on Sunday, August 30 in a move that raised eyebrows given his talent and how thin the group already is with fourth-round rookie Malik Muhammad projected to start in his first-ever NFL appearance in what would otherwise be Gordon’s nickel cornerback slot.
“#Bears are releasing CB Terell Smith, former 5th round pick,” Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported via X. “Perhaps expendable after trade landed them Clark Phillips. Smith had 2 pass breakups last night in Tennessee.”
Phillips came over from the Atlanta Falcons along with a fifth-round pick in the Bears’ trade of defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. But even with that added depth, the Bears could be in the market for another defensive back after all of the cutdown day dust settles.
And if they are, former Kansas City Chiefs CB Kaiir Elam is an option who might make sense.
Chiefs Cut Cornerback Kaiir Elam From Team on Sunday
Elam, a former first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2022 (No. 23 overall), received his walking papers from the Chiefs on Sunday.
“The Kansas City Chiefs are releasing CB Kaiir Elam,” Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports reported via social media. “He played well in camp and the preseason, but the room is crowded. Should get a shot elsewhere.”
Elam struggled to live up to his billing as a first-round pick, which resulted in Buffalo trading him to the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the 2025 campaign after three years with the Bills. Dallas waived Elam in late November, after which he signed on with the Tennessee Titans to finish out the campaign.
Before moving him, the Cowboys declined to pick up Elam’s fifth-year option, which rendered the CB a free agent in March. He inked a one-year deal with Kansas City for $1.8 million in early April before missing out on the initial 53-man roster over the weekend.
Bears May Face Significant Turnover in Secondary Next Offseason
If Chicago does decide to pursue Elam, it won’t likely be as a longterm play.
Stevenson is entering a contract year, while Johnson has two years remaining on his deal but may be hunting an extension as early as next offseason. Thus, there might be some meaningful turnover at the CB spot by next spring.
That said, Muhammad is likely a longterm piece moving forward, and Gordon still could be if he can get healthy and prove himself to head coach Ben Johnson.
Gordon’s three-year contract worth $40 million begins in 2026, and it is unclear how Chicago may wish to proceed next offseason if Gordon’s upcoming campaign is again hampered by health problems (he missed all but three games last season).
The Bears’ decision to cut Smith was something of a surprise, even after picking up Phillips in the Dexter trade, given the team’s current state of health and depth in the secondary. However, Smith has also been injury prone over the course of his career, which could have been a factor.
Elam battled injuries in 2023, playing just three games and starting two of those. However, he appeared in 13 and 14 contests in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Elam has tallied 114 combined tackles, eight pass breakups, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions in 43 total games played, which include 19 starts.
Bears Could Add Former 1st-Round CB After Jaylon Johnson Injury, Terell Smith Cut