Chicago Bears two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson was among four players placed on the team’s active/non-football injury (NFI) list on Saturday.
The severity of Johnson’s injury is unclear, but it will be worth monitoring as training camp and preseason games get underway.
Bears rookies reported to camp on Saturday, while veterans will follow on Tuesday.
Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick, is coming off consecutive Pro Bowl appearances and is integral to the Bears defense.
Last season, he started all 17 games and had two interceptions, eight passes defended and a forced fumble. Per Pro Football Reference data, he only allowed two interceptions on 56 coverage targets.
If Johnson remains on the NFI list through the NFL’s roster cut-down day on Aug. 26 at 4 p.m. ET, the Bears must place him on the reserve/non-football injury list, which would result in him missing at minimum the season’s first four games.
Expectations increased in Chicago when it hired former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as head coach earlier this offseason.
While the offense might improve in quarterback Caleb Williams’ second season, Johnson’s injury could lead to a defensive downturn.
Despite ranking 27th in yards allowed a season ago, the Bears were 13th in scoring defense thanks to their second-ranked red-zone defense. Chicago also allowed the league’s fewest passing touchdowns (17).
From Weeks 1-3 this upcoming season, the Bears face Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Those matchups will be immensely more challenging if Johnson is unavailable.
The Bears might just be taking a precautionary approach with Johnson, not wanting him to take unnecessary risks early in training camp.
That would be the best-case scenario. Otherwise, Chicago could be in for a rough start to the 2025 season.
