The Chicago Bears have won four games in a row and are eliciting good vibes in Year 1 of the Ben Johnson era, but most fans know better than to get overly cheerful. The team has beaten squads with serious limitations and will face some of the best teams the NFC has to offer in the form of the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, and Detroit Lions in the final stretch of the campaign. Chicago's path forward gets even murkier following the latest injury report.
Besides rolling out a feeble secondary that will be without Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon – two-time Pro Bowler Jaylon Johnson may not even suit up this season – the Bears are also going to be shorthanded on offense. Left tackle Braxton Jones, tight end Cole Kmet, and running back Roschon Johnson have all been ruled out ahead of Sunday's clash with the Baltimore Ravens.
Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson appears to be in line to play based on his recent practice participation, so Chicago will need all the help it can get on both sides of the ball. Jones has missed the last two games with a knee injury, and Kmet and Johnson are both battling back issues. Veteran RB D'Andre Swift, who rushed for 232 yards in his last two games, is listed as questionable with a groin injury. This team is enduring a tornado of misfortune at an eerily bad time.
The Bears owned a 4-2 record last year before losing 10 straight games and becoming the biggest punchline in the NFL. They cannot suffer the same fate in 2025. Caleb Williams' job should be far more challenging following this miserable injury report, but the young quarterback cannot panic. He has multiple weapons to lean on, like Rome Odunze and DJ Moore – plus hopefully Swift. Composure and an effective offensive game plan could get Chicago through its stay in Charm City.
A hard-fought road victory in sub-optimal conditions could just be the experience this group requires in order to truly take the next step in its development.
