The Chicago Bears appear as though a team in need of as many competent defensive backs as they can find amid a slew of injury concerns throughout the secondary, which renders their decision-making processes with regards to cornerback Terell Smith curious, to say the least.
Smith was a fifth-round pick of the franchise in the 2023 NFL draft. He missed the entirety of the 2025 campaign due to a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, though Smith returned and comported himself well this preseason.
Yet despite injuries that have knocked Jaylon Jones out for the season and have fans and media members questioning if nickel CB Kyler Gordon will ever play another snap for the Bears again, Chicago cut Smith as part of its push to trim the roster to 53 players and then chose not to bring him back as a member of the practice squad.
I get that Dennis Allen doesn’t want the Eberflus carryovers, but I thought Smith was legit good before he got hurt and had a solid preseason finale.
“I’m surprised Terell Smith hasn’t signed with an NFL team yet, let alone not being chosen to be on the #Bears’ practice squad,” Jacob Infante of Windy City Gridiron posted to X on Tuesday, September 1. “I get that [Bears defensive coordinator] Dennis Allen doesn’t want the [former head coach Matt] Eberflus carryovers, but I thought Smith was legit good before he got hurt and had a solid preseason finale.”
Smith has one season remaining on his four-year, $4.1 million rookie contract. He has amassed 68 combined tackles, including four tackles for loss, 10 pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble in 26 games played (six starts).
Across his first two seasons, Smith played 584 snaps on defense and 232 snaps on special teams. If he finds a new team or rejoins the Bears in 2026, he will play the upcoming campaign at 27 years old.
Bears Indicate Kyler Gordon’s Time in Chicago Could Already Be Over
Meanwhile, Bears general manager Ryan Poles detailed the disconnect between the team and Gordon during a press conference on Tuesday, and both the GM’s tone and the content of his message were disquieting.
“Anytime you have an injury and you’re coming back from something, there’s discomfort you have to push through. And that’s what it comes down to,” Poles said. “So we haven’t been able to get over that hump and we’re not progressing as fast as we’d like. That’s really all I have to say about that.”
Poles added that while he is hopeful Gordon plays again for the Bears, he added that he couldn’t say definitively that it would happen.
Gordon is on the physically unable to perform [PUP] list to start the season, which means he will miss at least the first four games.
He played just three contests last year with chronic soft-tissue injuries, the same problem he is facing now. Gordon inked a three-year extension worth $40 million that kicks in this season. He will turn 27 years old in December.
Bears Traded for CB Clark Phillips III, Formerly of Falcons, to Bolster Secondary
Amid all the losses in the CB room, Chicago added Clark Phillips III over the weekend by way of the trade the Bears made that sent defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. to the Atlanta Falcons.
Phillips, who turns 25 years old this season, is entering the final year of his $4.6 million rookie contract.
He has tallied 10 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one interception across 28 games played (seven starts) in his three-year professional career.
Bears Rebuked for Controversial CB Cut Amid Kyler Gordon Uncertainty