Over their last five quarters of football, the Chicago Bears have allowed 73 points. No one on the defensive side of the ball has played particularly well, but injuries to some key players have been a factor in the ineptitude.
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson missed Week 1 with a groin injury, and after suffering what head coach Ben Johnson has called a new injury in Week 2 he is out indefinitely. Nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon has missed both games so far this season due to a hamstring injury.
Linebacker T.J. Edwards missed Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings due to a hamstring injury of his own, then he left Week 2 against the Detroit Lions after aggravating the injury.
On Monday, before the more dire reports about Johnson, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune offered the idea that Johnson, Gordon and Edwards could be held out through the Bears' Week 5 bye with their injuries.
"If any (all three?) miss the Cowboys game, do you see if they can play in Week 4 in Las Vegas or take the cautious route with the bye following that game? It’s something to think about because there is a long season ahead, and the Bears don’t want what would be another recurrence for any of the three key defenders."
Dr. David Chao, a long-time former NFL team doctor, also suggested short-term IR could be on the table for Edwards after he exited last Sunday's game.
#TJEdwards @ChicagoBears
— David J. Chao - ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) September 14, 2025
Risk of early return is aggravation
OUT with hamstring again
Short term IR on table pic.twitter.com/6ZY5IQaw4K
The sheer nature of soft tissue injuries invites the idea of re-aggravation if a player is back on the field too soon. Edwards probably didn't have to cover the kind of ground like he did on the play above until that play, and when he tried to take the governor off and sprint in pursuit of Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams he was re-injured.
T.J. Edwards injury update keeps nightmare going for the Bears
When it comes down to it, the Bears are in a better position to replace Edwards than they are to replace Johnson and Gordon. Noah Sewell has played well so far this season, and rookie Ruben Hyppolite is a promising talent.
Looking ahead to the Bears' Week 3 game against the Dallas Cowboys, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler offered a concise (and expected) injury note about Edwards.
"In other injury news, Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards (hamstring) is considered a long shot to play Sunday against the Cowboys."
Read more: Caleb Williams has to take advantage of a prime get-right opportunity in Week 3
We'll see what the daily practice reports say as the week goes on, as he did not practice on Wednesday. A multi-game absence is absolutely on the table, up to and including an IR stint that would render him unavailable for a least four games.