The Chicago Bears’ 31-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers was an absolute disaster from top to bottom.
Outside of defensive end Austin Booker's two sacks before halftime, the Bears had little to hang their hats on after the blowout loss. Quarterback Tyson Bagent looked uncomfortable and like someone who wasn’t ready for the moment. The defense couldn’t contain Jordan Love and the Packers’ aerial attack, allowing 367 passing yards and two touchdowns. Kicker Cairo Santos also missed a 43-yard field goal.
The Bears' on-field performance is overshadowed by the injuries they sustained in the loss, all on the defensive side of the ball. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and linebacker T.J. Edwards injured their hamstrings, and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo failed to finish the game because of a quad injury.
Those are three starters on the defense. Depending on the severity of the injuries, will clearly impact defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s unit moving forward.
Bears' defense got smacked with key injuries in loss to the Packers
Odeyingbo was having an encouraging start to his 2026 season. He entered the Week 5 game against the Packers leading the team in total pressures and sacks. He also provided Allen with the versatility to play multiple spots on the defensive line.
Edwards is one of Chicago’s leaders. He injured his hamstring last season. At this point, it’s not clear which hamstring the veteran linebacker injured, but that’s not an injury the Bears can afford to mess around with at this point.
The same thinking goes for Stevenson, who has had an up-and-down season through the first five weeks.
The Bears are already missing their top free agent signing, Coby Bryant. Veteran safety Xavier played there the last two weeks, and he, along with the rest of the secondary, was exposed in the loss to the Packers.
Chicago is also still waiting for nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon to return. The Week 6 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons could be a possibility. Former 2025 second-round pick defensive lineman Shemar Turner is still on the PUP list after his 21-day practice window opened.
Allen will have to get creative on defense to find ways for whoever is healthy and available on that side of the ball to play effectively. That was far from the case in Week 5 against the Packers.
Read more: Jaylon Johnson showcased why Bears can no longer trust him in the secondary
The Bears will travel to Atlanta to face the Falcons in Week 6. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s status is up in the air after sustaining a rib injury in Sunday night’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens. If Penix can’t play, then Tua Tagovailoa would start. That would help the Bears' defense, but Chicago still needs to correct plenty of mistakes from this past week and hope the injuries don’t hurt the team long-term.
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