A former Chicago Bears drafted cornerback has earned a new place with an NFC contender following his controversial departure during the 53-man roster cutdown.
According to the NFL’s official transaction wire, the Washington Commanders signed former Bears fifth-round cornerback Terell Smith on Tuesday to their practice squad, adding depth to their secondary before Week 1’s season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Bears declined to keep Smith — a 2023 fifth-round pick — on their initial 53-man roster for the 2026 season despite a series of cornerback injuries in training camp, waiving him on Sunday.
More controversial than the Bears waiving Smith, though, was their decision not to re-sign him to their practice squad after he cleared waivers, giving up on his once-promising development.
Smith will now have an opportunity to earn a roster promotion over the next few weeks with the Commanders, who are dangerously thin at cornerback after placing former second-rounder Trey Amos on injured reserve and keeping just three at the position on their initial 53-man roster.
Injuries Undermined Terell Smith’s Roster Case in Chicago
Smith once seemed to have the makings of a future starter for the Bears, recording an interception, 10 pass breakups, 68 tackles and four tackles for loss in 26 games over his first two seasons.
Unfortunately, injuries gravely impacted his roster chances over the past 13 months.
Last August, Smith suffered a non-contact patellar tendon tear in his left knee during the Bears’ second preseason game, forcing the team to place him on season-ending injured reserve before the start of the regular season. While he returned for another go with the Bears in 2026, he suffered an undisclosed injury in practice on August 6 that sidelined him for about three weeks.
Smith did have a good outing in the Bears’ preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans upon his return, recording two pass breakups and earning an 89.9 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus. His encouraging performance seemed to come too little too late for the Bears, though.
Bears’ Top 3 Cornerbacks All Injured Ahead of Week 1
Smith’s time with the Bears is over, but the team’s troubles with cornerback injuries are not.
Coming out of the roster cutdown, the Bears are dealing with injuries to all three of their top cornerbacks, including $40 million slot cornerback Kyler Gordon — who will begin on the PUP list. Bears head coach Ben Johnson also said Tuesday that starters Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson are “day-to-day” with the injuries that they sustained in joint practice last week.
The Bears have plenty of time to see if Johnson and Stevenson recover from their injuries before they kick off against Carolina on September 13, but the situation is worse off with Gordon.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles candidly told reporters on Tuesday that he is not sure whether Gordon will play for the team during the 2026 season and acknowledged a disconnect between the team and its star nickel defender regarding his recovery from a persistent calf injury. At a minimum, Gordon must spend the first four games of the regular season on the PUP list.
The Bears will likely tab fourth-round rookie Malik Muhammad — who had a strong camp — to play in the slot for however long Gordon is out, but their cornerback depth could become more problematic if either Johnson or Stevenson is not cleared before Week 1.
Ex-Bears Cornerback Joins NFC Contender After Controversial Cut