Bears top CB Jaylon Johnson (quad) takes ‘big step,’ but unlikely to play vs. Vikings

Still, his work Friday was promising and opens optimism that if he’s not back Sunday, he could make his return Thursday against the Commanders.

SHARE Bears top CB Jaylon Johnson (quad) takes ‘big step,’ but unlikely to play vs. Vikings
A photo of Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson playing in a game last season.

Johnson was so strong in coverage the first two games that he didn’t face a single pass.

AP Photos

Top cornerback Jaylon Johnson is recovering well from the quadriceps injury that kept him out of the last two games, but the Bears probably won’t have him against the Vikings on Sunday.

That would be highly problematic for the defense, which is full of question marks behind Johnson at corner. It also would be highly disappointing for Johnson, who has been eager for another shot at covering Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson.

“That’s what I wake up and want to play this game for — those big-time matchups and just really being able to prove who I am to the world, to myself, to my team,” Johnson said.

He practiced Friday for just the first time since hurting his quad in practice Sept. 22, doing individual drills and a little bit of team reps, and Bears coach Matt Eberflus listed him as doubtful for Sunday. NFL coaches tend to be liberal with the “questionable” status, so players designated as doubtful are usually long shots to play. Without him, the Bears would have to count on Kindle Vildor and rookie Kyler Gordon to handle Jefferson, Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn.

Still, it’s a plus that Johnson — who didn’t have a single pass thrown his way in the first two games — was back on the field. If he misses the Vikings game, there still will be optimism he’ll be ready by Thursday to face the Commanders at Soldier Field.

Working back from the injury has been “really a slow process” that has necessitated a lot of rest, he said. Although he’s itching to play, he didn’t answer when pressed about whether he felt ready to do so Sunday. 

That said, Friday was promising.

“I can move pretty well,” he said. “I’m doing really good at improving my speed and my strength and stuff like that. It’s big just being able to move with the team and against other people. Just being able to see where I’m at, moving laterally, reacting and different things like that, was a big step in the right direction.”

Texans quarterback Davis Mills and Giants quarterback Daniel Jones didn’t challenge the secondary much in Johnson’s absence, in part because it has been much more advantageous to run against the Bears. Over the last two games, Gordon allowed an 89.5 passer rating and Vildor a 103.6. The Bears also gave undrafted rookie Jaylon Jones extensive playing time with 57 snaps. He didn’t play at all when Johnson was healthy.

“We have bigger issues than the young guys in the secondary,” Johnson said of the defense. “We’ve got to stop the run initially. We’ve all got to do a better job of that at all three levels and really [force] a team to put the ball in the air for the DBs to make plays.

“All those [young corners] are doing their jobs. They’ve just got to keep improving, keep working on the little things.”

It helped that neither the Texans nor Giants had the strength to expose them. The Vikings, on the other hand, have far more firepower in the passing game. Jefferson has 25 catches for 393 yards and two touchdowns in four games against the Bears. He caught 10 passes for 147 yards last week against the Saints while being covered primarily by four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

Although the possibility of Johnson sitting and Jefferson putting up a huge game is scary, it’s not as terrifying for the Bears as Johnson being out long-term. If he isn’t back to full speed, it’s better to give him more time than to rush him and risk a more significant injury.

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