Cornerback Jaylon Johnson was limited in practice Friday, one day after the Bears gave him the same designation on Thursday’s estimated injury report. Johnson, who suffered a groin injury while working out before training camp, has a chance to play Monday night.
“I think we need to see him get out and get some reps and get some practice time,” defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. “I know he’s been working extremely hard to get himself back. Ultimately that will be a decision that gets made between [head coach] Ben [Johnson] and the training staff in terms of where he’s at. I know he’s itching to get back out there.”
Whether Johnson gets to follow all-world receiver Justin Jefferson on Monday night is another question. Allen’s defense allows for that, when warranted. Matt Eberflus’ didn’t.
“I think all of those things are game-plan-specific …” Allen said. “And so each week it could be different. I think the thing for us is we know that that’s a valuable tool that we have. We have a guy that we feel like is a shutdown corner … If we feel we need to match him up on a receiver we feel we have the ability to do that, and there’s certainly some times that we may not do that.”
Notes
• Starting linebacker T.J. Edwards remains out with a hamstring injury, while running back Roschon Johnson didn’t practice because of a foot problem. Cornerback Josh Blackwell was limited with a groin injury one day after missing practice, while running back Kyle Monangai was once again limited because of a hamstring issue.
• Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and getting ejected Thursday night wasn’t necessarily an excuse for the Bears to revisit their standards.
“We always talk to them about staying in the moment — and that is talked to them about from Day 1,” special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said. “You talk about having poise and understanding that the team is first in everything we do.”
• The Bears will honor members of the 1985 Bears at halftime Monday night, first airing a tribute video and then introducing them one-by-one on the field. This season marks 40 years since the Bears’ season that ended with a Super Bowl XX victory.