Seismic injury news is stacking up in the Bears’ favor

As the Chicago Bears prepare to face a crucial two-game stretch against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, the injury landscape around the league has shifted in a way that quietly, and surprisingly, benefits Chicago. The Bears still need to navigate through their own injuries, but key injuries in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are shaping major competitive advantages at the right time for the Bears.

How the injury news is quietly helping the Bears

Jaylon Johnson’s return is near, but Chicago is staying cautious

Eyebrows went up last Friday when star cornerback Jaylon Johnson returned to practice for the first time since undergoing core muscle surgery. His sudden reappearance, accompanied by a “limited” participation tag and a questionable designation for Sunday, sparked hope that he might be ahead of schedule. But the Bears did the right thing by downgrading him to out a day later. Unlike Baltimore’s recent injury-report debacle with Lamar Jackson, Chicago played this one by the book.

The real question is when the two-time Pro Bowler will truly be ready.

Johnson has missed two months and had already been sidelined throughout training camp and the preseason. That’s a massive amount of time away from football conditioning and contact practice.

If Johnson isn’t ready for the Steelers this week, there’s still hope that he returns Week 13 against Philadelphia or Week 14 at Lambeau. With the Eagles’ matchup coming on a rare Friday game, the practice schedule could be altered (more walk-throughs, fewer high-intensity reps). That makes the timing interesting but also makes Johnson’s return even more valuable.

Especially when the Bears’ secondary is dealing with multiple injuries.