The Chicago Bears are looking to carry their momentum into Week 8 but will have to try and do so without two of its best players. As the team prepares for a matchup against dynamic rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, they will enter the game with a shorthanded secondary.

After being questionable for most of the week, Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker have been ruled out for the game according to Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. Fishbain also noted that defensive end Jacob Martin is listed as questionable along with running back Travis Homer and left tackle Larry Borom. Martin, Homer and Borom are all currently on injured reserve.

Gordon will miss his first game of the season while Brisker will be sitting out for the second time. Gordon is nursing a hamstring injury, while Brisker is dealing with a concussion. Through seven weeks, Gordon's 68 PFF grade ranks among the top slot corners in the league.

On a positive note for the defense, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson will play without an injury designation after missing the previous two games with a calf injury. Long snapper Scott Daly also appears to be back to full strength after leaving the team's Week 6 matchup early and forcing Cole Kmet to take his place.

Though Chicago is forced to utilize a banged-up secondary, the Commanders might be without Daniels in Week 8. The rookie suffered a rib injury in Week 7 and did not practice for most of the following week, leading to his availability being truly up in the air.

Bears forced to deploy backups in Week 8

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Whether Daniels plays in Week 8 or not, the Bears will be limited on defense regardless. The team has boasted an above-average coverage unit thus far but relied heavily on both Brisker and Gordon.

Without either man available, Elijah Hicks and Josh Blackwell appear in line to play as the direct backups on the Bears' depth chart. Hicks recorded five tackles in Week 6 in place of Brisker while Blackwell has rarely seen the field on the year. Second-year backup Terell Smith will also likely see an extended run in Gordon's absence despite not being listed as the latter's direct backup in the slot.

Barring a late-week practice squad elevation, the Bears will walk into Week 8 with just five healthy cornerbacks. Jaylon Johnson leads the group opposite Stevenson, with Blackwell and Smith as their reserves. Third-year special teams specialist Jaylon Jones, who has never recorded an NFL stat, is the only other active cornerback for the game.