Bears inactive list vs. Texans: Johnson out, Smith in originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Bears will be without their top cornerback when they take on the Texans in Week 3. Jaylon Johnson is officially inactive with a quadriceps injury.
Johnson’s status steadily downgraded throughout the week of practice. He started as a full participant on Wednesday, then was limited in Thursday’s practice, and finally did not participate on Friday. With Johnson sidelined the Bear will have decisions to make in their secondary. Will they continue to kick Kyler Gordon into the slot in nickel packages? If so, Lamar Jackson is a choice to sub in as the team’s second outside corner. Or do they leave Gordon on the outside and bring in a player like Jaylon Jones to play in the slot? Jones has never played a defensive snap in his young NFL career. Jackson played about half of the Jets’ defensive snaps in 2020, but hasn’t played on defense since that season.
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Other inactives include rookie Velus Jones Jr. (hamstring), Dane Cruikshank (hamstring), Matt Adams (hamstring), Ryan Griffin (Achilles) and Ja’Tyre Carter (likely healthy scratch).
Jones Jr. has yet to make his NFL regular season debut as he tries to recover from a hamstring injury that’s bothered him throughout the summer. That injury limited him to playing in only one preseason game this year. Adams was working as the starting SAM linebacker on defense. The Bears could use a combination of Sterling Weatherford, Jack Sanborn and Joe Thomas to take Adams’ snaps.
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