The Chicago Bears will again be without starting corners Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12, prolonging a stretch in which their secondary has been held together by depth pieces and scheme.
The silver lining, though, is that Chicago still expects both defensive backs to be back on the field soon, with internal optimism centered on a potential Week 13 return if their recovery continues to track the right way. Until then, the NFC North leaders will have to lean on their pass rush and a ball-control offense to protect a thin back end.
That job just got more complicated in the front seven. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is being placed on injured reserve with a groin injury.
He’ll be joined on IR by running back Roschon Johnson, while Johnson and Gordon are “not being activated just yet,” leaving Chicago short both in the middle of its defense and in its rotational backfield.
Losing Edmunds, the signal-caller at the second level, puts more on the shoulders of T.J. Edwards and the rest of a linebacker room that was already absorbing a heavy snap load. His range in coverage and ability to clean up runs between the tackles have been central to how this defense is built, especially with the cornerback group in flux.
On offense, Johnson’s move to IR tightens the rotation behind D’Andre Swift and pushes more responsibility onto rookie Kyle Monangai as a change-of-pace and short-yardage option.
Monangai is exactly the kind of X-factor Chicago may need against Pittsburgh. The rookie has mirrored Swift’s efficiency on the ground, runs low to the turf, and routinely finishes through contact.
Against a Steelers defense sitting near the bottom of the league in yards allowed, his downhill style and ability to keep the Bears on schedule could be the quiet difference that keeps Caleb Williams out of obvious passing downs and helps Chicago control tempo.
Injuries to Edmunds, Johnson, and the still-sidelined starting corners underscore how fragile the Bears’ 7-3 start really is. But if their young backs and replacement defenders can hold the line until the secondary is whole again, Chicago’s push to stay atop the NFC North is very much alive.
