The Chicago Bears' defensive issues took another turn on Monday, and it wasn't a promising one. One of the team's key contributors in the secondary is set to miss an extended period due to an injury suffered during the second quarter of Chicago's Week 2 loss to the Detroit Lions.
According to Adam Schefter and Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com, veteran cornerback Jaylon Johnson is out indefinitely with a groin injury. The Bears are working with their medical team to determine the best course of action for Johnson moving forward, whether that includes surgery or another treatment method, per their reporting.
With Johnson sidelined for an unknown amount of time, Chicago's front office needs to make a move to bolster its secondary as soon as possible. Fortunately, there is a proven veteran available on the free agent market with a long list of accolades to his name that Ryan Poles should call immediately.
Stephon Gilmore Could Help Save Bears After Jaylon Johnson's Injury
As unfortunate as this injury is for Johnson, he had already missed Chicago's season opener against the Minnesota Vikings due to lingering calf and groin issues. It only puts the rest of the Bears' defense even further behind the 8-ball than they already were. This is why making the call to Gilmore and his representation makes a ton of sense.
With his 35th birthday on the horizon, Gilmore's days of being a premier cornerback in the NFL are behind him. He proved this past season that he can still be a contributor to a winning defense; however, he started in 15 games for the Vikings and recorded 56 tackles, nine pass deflections, and one interception.
Not to discredit Gilmore's age being a legitimate part of this discussion, it very much should be; the advanced metrics showed the former South Carolina Gamecocks star was a more than serviceable starter during his stint in Minnesota. The five-time Pro Bowler had an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 63.9, landing him 94th out of the 222 cornerbacks who met the qualifications during the 2024 season to receive an overall grade.
For a defense that has looked as sloppy as Chicago has over the last five quarters of play, adding any proven veteran to the fold should be enough to lower the blood pressure of Bears fans throughout the Windy City.
Simply put, after giving up 73 points, going back to their fourth quarter collapse against the Vikings in Week 1, Chicago is in no real position to be picky about what veterans are available as potential upgrades to the current roster.