The Chicago Bears clearly missed Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon in their season-opening loss to the Minnesota Vikings. They're still nursing groin and hamstring issues, respectively, but they shouldn't be out for much longer.
Nahshon Wright did a good job in Johnson's replacement and even recorded his first career pick-six, but the challenge will be steeper when they hit the road to face off with the Detroit Lions' plethora of pass-catchers.
With that in mind, they've tweaked things up in the practice squad. According to a report by NFL insider Courtney Cronin, they just signed DB Dallis Flowers to their practice squad, and released veteran CB Tre Flowers.
Bears Make Some Changes at CB
Tre Flowers failed to make the 53-man roster, but the Bears still chose to keep him around in the practice squad. Even so, the writing was on the wall when they didn't activate him for the season opener, even though they were missing two key pieces in the secondary.
Now, the other Flowers (who's not related to Tre), will be one of two cornerbacks in the practice squad, joining undrafted rookie Dontae Manning there. Even so, he might bring more to the table on special teams, assuming he's even activated at any point in the season.
What Does Dallis Flowers Bring to the Table?
Flowers entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2022, and not only did he make the Indianapolis Colts' 53-man roster, but he also made an immediate impact on special teams.
He averaged a league-best 31.1 yards on 23 kick returns as a rookie. Despite making just 13 appearances, he finished fourth in the league among kick-returners with 715 return yards, with three of his returns going for at least 40 yards.
All in all, he played 174 snaps on defense and 143 snaps on special teams as a rookie. Unfortunately, a season-ending injury cost him most of his second year in the league.
Of course, the Bears have one of the best returners in the league in Devin Duvernay. The All-Pro kick returner averaged 27.0 return yards in three tries in the season opener, and rookie WR Luther Burden III also had a 44-yard return in his debut, so it's not like they need Flowers.
Then again, it never hurts to have some depth, and if Johnson and Gordon have to miss more time, he might get a chance to prove his worth.