After missing the start of the season, cornerback Jaylon Johnson said he expects to make his 2025 debut this Sunday when the Chicago Bears face the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
“I’ll be good,” Johnson said about his status.
Johnson was sidelined during Chicago’s Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings while recovering from a groin injury sustained during offseason training. The 26-year-old was placed on the non-football injury list in July and missed all of training camp. When he returned to practice last week, he also appeared on the injury report with calf tightness, which he attributed to the rehab process.
“That was just a little overcompensation from just trying to get my groin back right, just get my body collectively together, and I just had some calf tightness,” Johnson explained.
Although he was listed as questionable for the opener, Johnson said there were never plans for him to play against Minnesota. He went through an extensive workout at Soldier Field before the game, focusing on position drills, and noted he felt strong during the session.
“It was just a workout,” Johnson said, according to ESPN. “For me, just going through the position drills, I felt good doing it.”
This week, Johnson has been a full participant in consecutive practices, an important step after weeks of limited work.
“A lot better,” Johnson said about his progress. “I feel pretty good just getting that extra week of reps, extra week of conditioning, going through things really, just getting up to speed in the playbook, being able to do walk-throughs, things like that, is really beneficial for me,” he added, according to Sports Illustrated.
Johnson also emphasized the importance of urgency for the Bears as they head into a divisional matchup after a narrow Week 1 loss.
“Yeah, for sure, I’m sure everybody feels that same urgency,” he said. “I mean, you never want to go 0-2, you want to try to win as many games as possible.”
