The Chicago Bears‘ injury updates were something of a mixed bag on Tuesday, as head coach Ben Johnson offered optimism with regards to wide receiver Luther Burden III and considerably worse news than most expected on safety Coby Bryant.
Burden recently suffered a groin injury during training camp, so while he will likely miss the remainder of the preseason, his prospects of returning by Week 1 remain reasonable.
“Ben Johnson said the hope is that WR Luther Burden (groin) is back for the start of the regular season,” Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported via X on August 11.
Missing all three preseason opportunities to work against opposing defenses alongside quarterback Caleb Williams is not, in itself, a positive update for Burden.
And groin injuries are notoriously mercurial, which means there will be a reasonable risk of Burden re-injuring the muscle at some point during the year (see: Chicago CB Jaylon Johnson’s struggles with a groin issue last season).
Still, while Burden is liable to be back healthy at some point in mid-September, the outlook is much more grim for Bryant.
Bears Safety Coby Bryant Could Miss 6 Months After Knee Surgery
GettySafety Coby Bryant of the Chicago Bears.
Biggs also reported Johnson’s comments on Bryant Tuesday, which were considerably worse than what the coach had to say about Burden.
“#Bears S Coby Bryant underwent knee surgery and he will be sidelined 4-6 months, per Coach Ben Johnson,” Biggs wrote on social media. “Hope is he can return at the end of the season.”
Bryant suffered a hyperextension, bone bruise and small fracture to his left knee during a practice session last week, with initial reports indicating he might miss between 8-10 weeks. Johnson refuted that timeline publicly shortly after, leading some in the media to speculate that perhaps Bryant might return earlier.
However, Johnson’s update Tuesday proved the opposite is true. The blow is significant to a Chicago defense that looked like it would enter the 2026 campaign relying on the secondary to be its strongest unit.
But with Bryant out and soft-tissue injuries continuing to plague nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon, two of the five starting positions in the secondary are in serious doubt. Beyond that, multiple health issues have hit top reserves in the defensive backs group, which may complicate things further.
Bryant was Chicago’s priciest offseason addition, as the Bears inked him to a three-year contract worth $40 million total. Gordon signed the exact same deal, which begins for the CB in 2026 as well.
Bears May Need High-Flying Offense to Offset Bad, Injured Defense
GettyChicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
Burden’s quick return to full health is even more important now, as Chicago’s defense appears in significant peril.
The Bears led the NFL in total turnovers and turnover differential last season and can’t bank on doing so again. The team had a poor pass rush in 2025 and has not added any talent off the edge to improve it, which will put more pressure on the injury-depleted secondary.
And so, perhaps Chicago’s best chance at a viable defense is simply to play excellent offense. Williams has raised eyebrows in camp with what appears to be another big leap, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, and general manager Ryan Poles suggested Tuesday that starting left tackle Ozzy Trapilo might return much sooner than initially thought from his torn patellar tendon.
If the offensive line gets back to an elite unit and Williams has his full complement of pass-catchers, which obviously includes Burden, then perhaps Bryant’s injury won’t loom as large across the first two or three months of the regular season.
Bears Share Hopeful News on Luther Burden After Catastrophe Hits Defense