Chicago Bears Rival Already Suffers Brutal Early Setback

The Chicago Bears know nothing has changed regarding their outside situation. If they want to make any noise in 2023, it starts with the NFC North division. That means winning the majority of their six encounters against the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit Lions. That job became slightly easier when Aaron Rodgers left Green Bay for the New York Jets. Since then, most have projected the Lions as a heavy favorite to win the division. This was spurred by their hot finish to last season and their strong off-season.

Even head coach Dan Campbell has admitted the hype train is getting out of control. It turns out he was right to feel worried. As training camp kicked off for Detroit, they almost immediately suffered an agonizing loss. C.J. Gardner-Johnson, the star safety who signed with the Lions as a free agent, left practice on a cart with what was described as a "non-contact" knee injury. Anybody familiar with the NFL knows that this is almost always a case where the player tore something, most likely the ACL.

That would mean Gardner-Johnson is done for the season.

The Chicago Bears will benefit from this development.

While it is never good to see a player get hurt like that, the facts are undeniable. Detroit viewed Gardner-Johnson as the centerpiece to their retooled secondary. He had six interceptions last season. After spending time with two winning organizations in New Orleans and Philadelphia, his veteran leadership felt like everything they needed. Now he is out, leaving the Lions' plans in shambles. Their secondary should still be a solid group, but not nearly as effective as it would've been.

The rest of the NFC North won't have mercy on them. Green Bay and Minnesota already have solid passing attacks. Now the Chicago Bears are entering the conversation after adding D.J. Moore this off-season. Justin Fields no doubt has revenge on his mind after his ugly showing at Ford Field late last year. Detroit believes this is their year. Maybe it is, but this is not the way they wanted things to start. It will be interesting to see how they respond without Gardner-Johnson.