One Chicago Bears defender that is quietly putting together a monster preseason

As the NFL season inches closer, anticipation is at its highest if you’re a fan of the Chicago Bears.

After a magical run to end the 2025-26 campaign, the Bears will look to get back to the playoffs once again. This will not come easily, as the NFC North remains one of the league’s strongest divisions.

One challenge that could plague the Bears is their secondary. In the offseason, Chicago lost safety Jaquan Brisker to the Steelers, Kevin Byard to the Patriots, and Nahshon Wright to the Jets.

And to make matters worse, that doesn’t include the major questions coming out about Kyler Gordon’s health.

This group will have many different names and faces at the start of the season, including three rookies and a newly acquired DB in Clark Phillips III. How they respond in a division full of offense remains to be seen, but it could bring challenges, and some argue the D-line is still the weakest part of the defense.

One constant in this secondary is Jaylon Johnson, the Bears’ top cornerback. Since he joined the team in 2020, Johnson has been a key factor on that side of the ball. Like Gordon, he has had his share of injuries, playing only 7 games last season.

However, according to one Chicago Bears beat reporter, Johnson has looked great in camp thus far.

Should Chicago Bears fans be worried about the secondary going into the season?

The worries are valid.

When you consider Kyler Gordon hasn’t even practiced since spring, the concern goes up. Not only is he of zero value to the team at the moment, but his trade value will go down each game he misses. Not great, especially given how much guaranteed money is on the table.

That’s where Jaylon Johnson comes into play. He must stay healthy and keep playing at an elite level for this defense to succeed, and so far, it sounds like he is.

Chicago Tribune beat reporter Brad Biggs was on 104.3 The Score this morning and had some great words for Johnson, saying the DB has looked great so far in the young season.

“Undersold here is how Jaylon Johnson has looked this summer. Dennis Allen talked about those improvements yesterday, and the reasons they are excited about how he’s looking.”

Strong words for Biggs, who later stated that Johnson is probably the most important piece of the secondary, with him being an elite outside corner at this point.

If he’s on the field? Johnson is a top-tier corner. That part isn’t up for debate.

The Bears also picked up veteran safety Xavier Woods, who will provide leadership and experience at the position. Even with those strengths, he isn’t the “ball hawk” that this back end of the defense needs.

Biggs went on to praise another young member of this defense, Tyrique Stevenson, who has had an up-and-down NFL career to this point.

“I think Tyrique Stevenson has had a decent summer. But you got to be careful with him, because what do the coaches and everyone else involved say about him? It’s a consistency issue with him. Can he carry it from week one to week two?

Stevenson is best known for the infamous “Fail Mary” that occurred just a few seasons ago. This likely was the turning point for the organization as a whole, as it sparked massive change across the board.

As we near week one, this defense will need to find an identity early to help the Chicago Bears return to postseason football.

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