When Chicago Bears training camp opened, it was revealed that cornerback Jaylon Johnson suffered a multi-week leg injury. While the franchise hasn’t pushed the panic button just yet, it’s clear who the Bears would choose should Johnson miss regular season time.
It’s not yet known if Johnson’s injury will force that issue. General manager Ryan Poles stated that there will be continued updates throughout training camp. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen didn’t think the injury would last long-term. Still, coming off of back-to-back Pro Bowls, missing Johnson for any amount of time is a massive hit to Chicago’s defense.
It would be difficult for the Bears to truly replace the production Johnson brings to the secondary. But in his absence, Chicago has turned to Nahshon Wright over the first two days of training camp, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune and Courtney Cronin of ESPN.
“As in the spring, CB [Nahshon] Wright getting more time with the 1s with Jaylon Johnson absent,” Briggs wrote.
Kiran Amegadjie took snaps with the starters in team drills at left tackle for the #Bears this morning.
As in the spring, CB Nashon Wright getting more time with 1's with Jaylon Johnson absent.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) July 24, 2025
Bears practice No. 1 just ended. Went from 8:45-10 a.m.
-Rookies Luther Burden III and Zah Frazier were not present. Burden appears to still be dealing with injuries from the spring (landed on a ball awkwardly in minicamp, sustained a soft tissue (hamstring) injury in OTAs)…— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) July 23, 2025
What Nahshon Wright offers Chicago Bears
The Bears signed Wright to a one-year contract over the offseason. He spent the 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings, although he appeared in just one game. The cornerback is more well known for his three-year run with the Dallas Cowboys.
Over 32 games total, including three starts, Wright put up 37 tackles, five passes defended and an interception. Most of his production came in 2022, when the cornerback set new career-highs with 23 tackles, four pass break ups and his lone pick. Still, despite his overall lack of stats, Allen and the Bears clearly see something in the defensive back.
As does safety Kevin Byard. After Thursday’s training camp safety, the veteran took some time to shout out the rising cornerback, via Zack Pearson of Bear Report.
“He’s been balling,” Byard said. “He had a lot of turnovers in spring.”
"He's been balling. He had a lot of turnovers in Spring." – #Bears safety Kevin Byard on Nahshon Wright.
Wright has been DB2 with Jaylon Johnson out.
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) July 24, 2025
With Johnson down, Chicago isn’t massively loaded with cornerback depth. With Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon locked into starting roles, Terrell Smith and Zah Frazier are seemingly Wright’s biggest competition. However, Frazier is currently away from the team due to a personal matter, and thus far, the Bears have preferred Wright’s fit over Smith.
Ultimately, the Bears are hoping to have Johnson back on the field sooner rather than later. But until he does, Wright seems poised to soak up most of his first-team reps at training camp.
Dennis Allen, Kevin Byard cook up new Chicago Bears tradition at training camp
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