One of the most important players on the Chicago Bears defense still has his status up in the air for the regular season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, has missed all of the preseason due to a soft tissue injury and it is still unclear if he will return for Week 1,.
In a sign of good news and optimism, the Bears made Johnson a part of their 53-man roster, meaning he avoided being out for several weeks by being placed on injured reserve or the PUP list. One of their biggest leaders on either side of the ball, the Bears will need Johnson each and every week, especially as they face off against one of the league’s best wide receivers, Justin Jefferson, to begin the year.
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Head coach Ben Johnson recently appeared on the “Mully & Haugh Show” and provided an update on Johnson, saying there will be some time off this week before reevaluating going into next week’s season opener.
“That remains to be seen,” Johnson said of the star cornerback’s status. “We’ll have some good time off this week, we’ll be able to reset and see who is practicing next week and to what extent. The hope had been from the get-go that the soft tissue injury would be resolved by the time Week 1 comes around, and we’re going to be right up against that timeline for Jaylon.”
There will certainly be an adjustment period for Johnson when he does return to the field, as he’ll have to work to get familiar with the defensive schemes put in place by new coordinator Dennis Allen. Johnson comes into the 2025 season as one of the leaders of the Bears team and, when he’s on the field, the Bears are a much better defense and team as a whole.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Jaylon Johnson injury: Bears HC gives update ahead of Week 1