The Chicago Bears' secondary is in an interesting spot after losing four starters from last year's team.
At cornerback, the Bears lost Nahshon Wright and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who played big roles in helping the defense after injuries to key starters Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon. Despite having retained a good portion of their cornerbacks and adding Cam Lewis in free agency, there are still some questions about the position.
There is one guy the Bears brought back from the secondary who isn't getting much attention, but might have a chance to make some noise. This also could be his last shot to make an impression on the Bears' coaching staff before his time in Chicago ends.
Jaylon Jones needs to put up or shut up in 2026 with the Bears
Jones re-signed with the Bears during the offseason after helping out in the secondary last year due to injuries to the cornerback position. He finished the year with 16 tackles and one forced fumble in 15 games with one start.
Over the last four years in Chicago, Jones has been more known as a special teams player, helping on kickoff coverage. He has racked up 101 tackles, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback hit in 56 games.
The vibes are different this season with Jones, as he might have a legit chance of gaining some playing time in the secondary. It's unclear where he might be playing, but an opening has occurred that could make things very interesting.
Nickel corner Kyler Gordon is still dealing with his injury, and Lewis missed some time during OTAs as well. That gave Jones a chance to get first-team reps in the slot.
This doesn't guarantee that Jones will make the 53-man roster, as he could still get cut depending on how the team handles the secondary. They already have a position battle going on at CB2 with Tyrique Stevenson and rookie Malik Muhammad, but Jones has to watch out for Terell Smith returning to the Bears after being injured last year.
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Jones is going to be in for a long training camp with the Bears, entering his fifth season and potentially his most critical in the NFL. He might be playing in his last training camp if he is not able to elevate his play.
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