Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson's absence has remained a mystery throughout training camp and the preseason -- that is, until Tuesday.
When speaking with reporters, Johnson revealed he suffered "a pretty bad, bad injury in my groin" in the period preceding the start of camp, and he's now hoping to be cleared in time to play the Bears' season-opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night.
Johnson explained he was hoping to be cleared for practice this week with a target to take the field for Week 1. While that remains up in the air, Tuesday's comments signal he's nearing a return at some point soon.
“I’d like to say I can go out there and play but, I mean, it’s definitely hard, too,” Johnson said, via Marquee Sports Network. “I feel like if we had a game today, it wouldn’t be a thing. But I think, really, this week will be important for me to get the pads back on, get practices under my belt, game speed, moving around, covering guys, communicating. I think that all will help me. But again, there’s not too much you can replicate in the game.”
It's a remarkably better situation than when Johnson first suffered the groin injury in what he described as a "freak accident."
“When (it happened), I felt that I knew I was going to be out some time because the amount of pain that I had and just the feeling that I had,” Johnson recounted. “I knew it was going to be out. But I think for me, it was just like in that moment, just letting God work through me and around me in whatever way it looked like, whatever he was protecting me from, or preparing me for, I was taking it head-on."
Instead of preparing for the season with his teammates, the two-time Pro Bowl corner was disarmed by his injury and forced to spend camp and the preseason in the training room. The challenging period wasn't what he wanted, but provided him with proof he can endure struggles.
“It has definitely been a journey," Johnson said. "It has been frustrating, going in the training room to the weight room, back to the training room for six, seven, eight weeks now. So, I mean, for me, it’s just a mental test, but I’m coming out better.”
Chicago is embarking on a season defined by cautious optimism. While the focus will largely be trained on new head coach Ben Johnson and his impact on the team's offense, it will be up to key defenders like Johnson to provide consistently excellent play on the defensive side of the ball.
The Bears might take the field shorthanded in Week 1. Fortunately, they've spent the summer preparing without Johnson, so they won't be caught by surprise. And as Johnson explained Tuesday, he'll be back soon.