The Chicago Bears have found their groove lately, winning six of their last seven games. They've been able to do so without cornerback Jaylon Johnson, but he's slated to return shortly.
Chicago opened up Johnson's 21-day practice window on Friday, signaling that he will be back in action sooner rather than later. He was limited in that practice session and was labeled as questionable for Week 11.
While he may not be on the field against the Vikings, his return is on the horizon, and that will push Nahshon Wright down the depth chart and onto the bench.
Jaylon Johnson’s Return Will Push Nahshon Wright Back to Bench
Johnson had been dealing with a groin injury since training camp and had to undergo surgery to fix the issue in September. And his absence led to Wright replacing him in the starting lineup.
This season, Wright is first among Bears cornerbacks in total snaps (538), giving them a steady presence out there. In those contests, he has finished with 42 total tackles, seven pass breakups, and three interceptions.
While he's been able to make some plays on the ball, Wright has left a ton to be desired. Through nine games, he has a 52.3 overall grade (89th among 109 graded cornerbacks), 46.1 run-defense grade (96th among 109 graded cornerbacks), and a 55.8 coverage grade (76th among 109 graded cornerbacks) on Pro Football Focus.
In addition to those stats, he has given up 28 catches (46 targets) for 378 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He's been able to suit up every game day, but that doesn't mean opposing offenses aren't targeting him.
The Bears' cornerback room has also been without Kyler Gordon, which has put the secondary in a more complicated position. Entering Week 11, Chicago is 26th in the NFL in pass defense (240.3), and for them to make a serious push in the second half, they need the pass defense to improve.
That's where a guy like Johnson will have a massive impact. He has two Pro Bowlers and one All-Pro under his belt. He's the caliber of cornerback that will line up against the opposing WR1 and make things hard for him.
With opponents like the Eagles, Packers, and Lions, to name a few, coming up, the addition of Johnson to the backend will be huge. This makes the Bears a better unit as a whole, but spells bad news for Wright, who will get demoted to backup duties again.