The Chicago Bears may have just lost one of their promising young cornerbacks to a brutal injury with roughly one week left until the NFL’s roster cutdown.
Bears third-year cornerback Terell Smith was carted off the field with a non-contact injury late in the second quarter of Sunday’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. Smith’s right knee appeared to buckle when he stopped at the top of a route to defend against a pass to Bills receiver Kristian Wilkerson, who made a 25-yard catch-and-run.
A grim scene followed after Smith collapsed on the field. Players took respectful knees while some of his teammates surrounded him in a circle. Smith then draped a towel over his head as the medical cart carried him off the field and into the locker room.
The Bears quickly ruled out Smith for the remainder of the game with a knee injury, one that head coach Ben Johnson did not sound optimistic about in Sunday’s postgame.
“We’ll find out more tomorrow,” Johnson said Sunday night of the team’s new injuries. “Obviously, Smitty’s [injury] was the most concerning of that bunch. That didn’t look good, so our thoughts and prayers are with him going forward.”
Bears Could Place Terell Smith on IR After Knee Injury
GettyBears cornerback Terell Smith was carted off the field in Sunday’s game.
The Bears will keep their fingers crossed heading into Monday morning as they await more news about Smith’s knee and whether it will cause him to miss significant time.
Smith had been strongly contending for a spot in the Bears‘ cornerback rotation during his third training camp. While he had not made as much noise as Tyrique Stevenson or Nahshon Wright in the competition for the No. 2 outside starter role opposite Jaylon Johnson, the 2023 fifth-round pick had been having a nice camp and figured to make the 53-man roster as a quality backup with solid ball skills and the upside of youth.
If the injury is as bad as it looked, though, Smith could be heading for injured reserve.
The Bears will have options if Smith’s injury requires a stint on IR. Players who land on injured reserve before the 53-man roster cutdown must normally sit out the entire year, but teams can designate two of those players for return during the cutdown period if they believe they will become healthy enough to play for them in the regular season.
The severity of Smith’s injury will determine whether a return designation is realistic for him, though. If Smith has torn his ACL or needs a significant knee surgery, then the Bears will more likely than not place him on the season-ending injured reserve list.
The good news: If Smith’s injury ends his season, he should still receive an opportunity to return and compete again in 2026 during the final year of his rookie contract.
Could Bears Make Another Move at CB Before Season?
The Bears could have a problem on their hands if they lose Smith to a major injury.
Heading into Sunday’s game against the Bills, the Bears did not have either of their top two cornerbacks — Jaylon and slot defender Kyler Gordon — available at practice due to injuries. Gordon is “week-to-week” with a hamstring injury, while Johnson is working his way back from a pre-camp leg injury with eyes on returning in time for Week 1.
The Bears can endure those injuries in camp while they sort out the unestablished roles on their depth chart, but they must also brace for the possibility of not having Johnson or Gordon — or both — against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1’s season opener, which becomes much more difficult for them to do if they lose Smith to a significant injury.
Would losing Smith prompt the Bears to make another move at cornerback, though?
The Bears would be down to Stevenson, Wright, Josh Blackwell and fifth-round rookie Zah Frazier as their top four cornerbacks without Johnson, Gordon or Smith available. While all four could have roles in the rotation in 2025, it is tough to imagine the Bears trusting that group alone to contain Justin Jefferson and the rest of the Vikings offense.
The Bears could attempt to remedy the situation with a veteran free-agent signing, such as Stephon Gilmore or Rasul Douglas, but signing a bigger name to a contract would imply they have serious doubts about one of their starters returning for the Week 1.
If that’s not the case, but they want to replace the depth lost in Smith, then the Bears might find more success waiting until the roster cutdown deadline. They could either trade for a cornerback ahead of time or claim one that interests them off waivers.
Bears Give Bleak Update on CB Carted Off With Brutal Injury