Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson will not play in Monday Night Football. He is among the team’s inactives.
Johnson went through a pregame workout for athletic trainers, but he will needs more time to work his way back from calf and groin injuries that had him questionable to play.
The Bears also won’t have cornerback Kyler Gordon, who was added to the injury report Sunday with a hamstring injury. Cornerback Josh Blackwell, who was questionable with a groin injury, is dressed.
Nahshon Wright and Tyrique Stevenson will fill in for Johnson and Gordon.
The Bears also won’t have running back Roschon Johnson (foot) and linebacker T.J. Edwards (hamstring). Quarterback Case Keenum, offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie and defensive tackle Shemar Turner are the team’s other inactives.
The Vikings will be without left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee) and safety Harrison Smith (illness). Darrisaw was questionable to play, while Smith already was ruled out.
Justin Skule will start for Darrisaw.
The team’s other inactives are running back Zavier Scott, offensive guard Joe Huber, defensive lineman Elijah Williams and third quarterback Max Brosmer.
Maybe it’s a next-level plan to demonstrate the value of a domed stadium with artificial turf. Or maybe it’s just the latest chapter in the grass at Soldier Field periodically looking like it had been invaded by a battalion of Marines.
Regardless, early reports on the quality of the playing surface aren’t good in advance of the Monday night game between the Vikings and the Bears.
From Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com, from 4:42 p.m. ET: “Several members of the field crew at Soldier Field are surveying the turf right now and placing a sand/seed mix in areas that need to be filled on the playing surface. The field was re-sodded after a stretch of five concerts at the end of August.”
And here’s an earlier video from Chris Hawkey of ESPN.com, as re-posted by Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com.
The league has minimum standards for field quality. Of course, the financial impact and practical consequences of scrapping a game because it was a potential safety hazard for the players would be difficult to manage.
What would the Vikings and Bears do? Play tomorrow in Minnesota or at some other site?
Regardless, the field doesn’t look good. We’ll find out in a less that three hours how it plays.
The Bears have elevated linebacker Carl Jones Jr. and defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon from the practice squad for Monday Night Football, the team announced.
That seems like a good sign for the availability of cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson, Josh Blackwell and Kyler Gordon. Johnson (calf/groin), Blackwell (groin) and Gordon (hamstring) had questionable designations.
Jones played one game for the Bears last season, seeing action on 12 special teams snaps in a loss to the Patriots.
Kpassagnon signed with the Bears on July 22, and after being among the team’s final cuts, he re-signed to their practice squad. Kpassagnon has appeared in 104 career games, including three last season with the Saints.
The Bears will kick off their 2025 season at Soldier Field on Monday night, but that’s not the only thing the organization is focused on right now.
They’re also trying to push forward plans for their next home. The team wants to build an indoor stadium in suburban Arlington Heights on property that they’ve purchased and the Bears plan to pay for the stadium themselves.
In an open letter Monday, team president Kevin Warren reiterated those plans and said they are “partnering with political, labor, business, and community leaders across Illinois to develop a plan for property tax certainty and a fair contribution toward essential infrastructure that will benefit the entire community.” Warren said the team wants to finish that work soon.
“We are at a pivotal juncture of the Chicago Bears franchise to build a new stadium, our future home in Arlington Heights, which will require zero state money for construction,” Warren wrote. “This is the year to finalize our stadium plans so we can officially bid to host a Super Bowl as soon as 2031. This is the moment to begin moving toward that future, and we want you with us.”
Warren also notes that while the team does “not yet have all the answers” they need, they are “optimistic about working with the Village of Arlington Heights to obtain necessary approvals” to move the project forward in the near future.
There is some positive news on the injury front for the Lions.
Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, cornerback Terrion Arnold’s groin injury is not considered serious.
That makes Arnold one to watch on this week’s injury reports as the Lions prepare to host the Bears next Sunday afternoon.
Arnold was on the field for 23 defensive snaps (48 percent) before he had to exit Sunday’s loss to the Packers. He recorded six total tackles with one pass defensed.
Additionally, Lions safety and special teams contributor Daniel Thomas broke a bone in his hand, but plans to get a cast to try and play through it.
