Heading into the 2025 debut edition of Monday Night Football, one of the biggest questions surrounding the Chicago Bears was the status of defensive backs Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon.
Landing on the Week 1 2025 injury report with a groin and hamstring injury respectively, losing Johnson and Gordon would prove disastrous for the Bears, leaving them severely undermanned defensively against the Minnesota Vikings.
Fortunately, while the final inactive list remains a few hours away, the Bears have hinted at some positive news to come, with Ryan Poles opting to elevate Carl Jones Jr. and Tanoh Kpassagnon from the practice squad, neither of whom plays in the defensive backfield, as reported by ESPN's Courtney Cronin.
“The Bears elevated linebacker Carl Jones Jr. and defensive lineman Tanoh Kpassagnon from the practice squad,” Cronin wrote. “No DB elevations, so could mean good news for Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, who are both questionable.”
Going up against redshirt rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy in his NFL debut, the Bears are widely considered a favorite to start the Ben Johnson era with a 1-0 record, but if they don't have the level of defensive play needed to give him fits, the offensive genius that is Kevin O'Connell could pick apart new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and give fans serious Matt Eberflus flashbacks.
But with Jones and Kpassagnon elevated from the practice squad instead of Tre Flowers, Dontae Manning, or Gervarrius Owens, the chances are good that at least one of Johnson or Gordon will be active for the game and could play a key role in securing that pivotal 1-0 record in a very competitive NFC North.
