Cue the Jim Carrey quote from Dumb and Dumber: "So you're saying there's a chance?"
That's the kind of update NFL insider Ian Rapoport delivered to Chicago Bears fans Sunday morning regarding cornerback Jaylon Johnson. Over the past week, there has been anything from Johnson being out indefinitely to being out for the season after reinjuring his groin injury, which has since been revealed by Johnson and his head coach, Ben Johnson, to be new.
On Saturday, Rapoport reported that Jaylon Johnson was placed on IR for the time being. He added to his report on Sunday, which revealed a potential timetable for Johnson's return.
"Bears CB Jaylon Johnson plans to fly to Philly early this week to meet with Dr. William Meyers of The Vincera Institute, with core muscle surgery the likely outcome, sources say. If that's the case, Johnson would have a chance to return during the second half of the season."
There's still hope for Johnson to be back in 2025
This is quite the plot twist from Rapoport after many Bears fans were writing off Johnson for 2025. It's an opportunity to get him back sooner than expected.
One thing Bears fans have to keep in mind is that a lot of this is going to depend on where the Bears are in terms of their standings late in the season. If Chicago is entirely out of the playoff picture, there's no way Johnson returns this year, but if the Bears can make the postseason, Johnson will push to get back on the field.
Chicago also needs to consider the franchise's future. Johnson missed all of training camp and pushed to get back on the field by Week 2. That turned out to be a colossal mistake. They can't repeat their mistakes.
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As much as it would be great to see Johnson back this season, is it worth the risk of putting him back on the field in 2025? The Bears need to find themselves in a position to give Johnson a reason to be back with his brothers on the field.