Jaylon Johnson Finally Revealed The Injury That Sidelined Him

Almost everybody of note made it through Chicago Bears training camp in attendance, with one notable exception. Jaylon Johnson, their star cornerback, did not suit up for a single practice. It was unheard of for somebody like him, who was always praised for his unrivaled work ethic. Head coach Ben Johnson only stated it was an injury that was suffered while the corner was working out ahead of camp. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune later revealed it was a soft tissue injury. Other than that, fans were in the dark about when he'd return.

Johnson finally answered the first part of the puzzle on Tuesday.

“As far as the injury, same movement I’ve made plenty of times, and had a pretty bad, bad injury in my groin.”

That certainly explains a lot. Groin injuries are bad in general. For cornerbacks and other skill players, where running is central to their effectiveness, they can be crippling. From the way Johnson describes it, the setback was severe. If they're bad enough, such injuries can take a long time to heal. As to whether he can be ready for Monday night against Minnesota, he sounded optimistic that he could make it in time.

“I’m doing everything I can to play. I know I had a good workout this morning, so I’m feeling good, probably the best I felt all offseason – well, training camp, per se – but just trying to do everything I can to be back.”

Jaylon Johnson is sorely needed for an important game.

The Vikings' offense is built around superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Containing him is a top priority, and Chicago knows it will have a hard time doing that without Jaylon Johnson. It sounds like the injury is responding as he hoped upon returning to Halas Hall. The upcoming injury report will offer more details about how the Bears feel about his progress. If he's declared a non-participant, that will strongly indicate that they don't feel he's ready. It should improve their odds of claiming a win on opening night if he can go. Johnson sounds eager to get back. The coaching staff will make the call. Ben doesn't strike as the kind of guy who will push a player through an injury. This will come down to the training staff's assessment. We should know by Saturday.