The health of cornerback Jaylon Johnson was a topic throughout Chicago Bears training camp after he tore an adductor muscle off his pelvic bone in July. He missed the season opener, then suited up for Week 2 against the Detroit Lions, but reinjured his groin while breaking up a pass.
In the span of less than a couple of hours, the day after that game, the news went from Johnson being out indefinitely to likely being out for the season after needing surgery. NFL insider Jordan Schultz did leave the door open for a late-season return if the Bears were in contention, but that felt like a best-case scenario all the way across.
A more promising update came a week or so later, with head coach Ben Johnson offering the expectation the Bears' top cornerback should be able to return this season after having core muscle surgery.
Still, it's unclear if Johnson will be able to play again this season and when that could be is even less clear.
Jaylon Johnson offers the expected update on his health status
Johnson made his regular appearance on 670 The Score's "Spiegel and Holmes" on Monday. He confirmed he had core muscle surgery about two weeks ago, and said he's "feeling good" and "moving around a lot better."
Co-host Matt Spiegel then asked Johnson what everyone wants to know. What are the chances he returns to action this season?
"The biggest thing for me is to try to just get healthy as quick as I can,” Johnson said. “For me, I’m not putting a timeline on anything. I’m not going to say, ‘Oh, yeah, I’ll be good in 6-8 weeks.’ I’m not going to say I’m going to be good in three months, after the season. I can’t tell you that."
“I just know for me it’s just going day by day, trying to get my body stronger, and then just really kinda stripping everything and trying to see where the issues are. Clearly soft-tissue issues stem from other things a lot of the time. For me it’s trying to figure out where mine stems from.”
Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson shares a health update after he had core muscle surgery about 2 weeks ago.
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) October 6, 2025
"I'm feeling good, moving around a lot better," he says. pic.twitter.com/OtNWTzeetq
Read more: Former Bears lineman squashes any growing sentiment about popular LT option
Recovery from the kind of surgery Johnson had is lined up to be a slow process, with nothing guaranteed regarding his prospects to play again this season. It's hardly breaking news that he might not return this season, but he has now provided the extra layer of detail only he can really provide.