LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- As OTAs got underway inside Halas Hall in early April, Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson grew excited as he learned how his role would change under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
A scheme with a heavy dose of man coverage meant that the cornerback would be in position to shadow his opponent's top receiver. After back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons, Johnson saw the catalyst for taking the next step in his career.
"You lock up the No. 1 guy. No. 1 on No. 1," Johnson said. "That's what I am looking forward to the most. That's what I train for. That's what I work hard for."
But how soon Johnson will be ready to handle those responsibilities is the question. The 26-year-old suffered what he classified as a "pretty bad" groin injury while working on releases with receivers during offseason training. It landed him on the non-football injury list in late July and caused him to miss all of training camp.
The messaging from general manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson remained optimistic throughout July and August, but uncertainty seeped in when the Bears coach noted "a scenario" where the cornerback would be available for Week 1, not a downright certainty.
"Whenever a guy misses that significant amount of time, you're very cautious in making sure that injury doesn't reoccur," Ben Johnson said. "I know he's feeling significantly better than obviously he was from the start. We'll see what he looks like moving around and hopefully take it from there. I know he's excited to get back out with his teammates here soon."
Jaylon Johnson isn't the only injured player in Chicago's secondary who has tested the notion of this unit being the strength of the Bears' defense. Nickel corner Kyler Gordon, who signed a three-year contract extension this offseason, missed several weeks of camp with a hamstring injury. Terell Smith, a promising young cornerback who was pushing for more playing time, saw his season end in the preseason game against Buffalo with a knee injury. Rookie Zah Frazier was ruled out for the 2025 season after the team placed him on the NFI while he works through a personal matter.
"It's kind of been a little bit of mix and match there," Poles said. "It's going to be really nice when we get all those guys healthy and competing at the same level. It's always felt a little uncomfortable in terms of the corner position. But, again, there's been development there.
"Nahshon Wright, coming in from Minnesota, has done a good job, and he's gotten significantly better. [Nick] McLoud has been a great surprise coming in and competing -- inside, outside, special teams guy. So that's probably one position, but it just hasn't had a feel, because all of them haven't been there at the same time."
Johnson returned to practice Wednesday for the first time since the spring and was estimated to be a limited participant on Thursday's injury report (the Bears did not practice) because of groin and calf issues.
In his absence, Wright and Tyrique Stevenson have held down both outside corner spots with the first-team defense. Eventually, one of them will solidify himself as the No. 2 corner opposite Johnson, a competition that was a focal point of training camp.
While Johnson isn't at full strength yet, the prospect of reincorporating the player tied for the team lead in interceptions (two) in 2024 into the defense -- even in limited capacity against the Minnesota Vikings -- has provided a boost.
"It's going to give us a lot, knowing that we got our CB1 out there ... is just going bring that extra level of energy and confidence that we need to go out there and compete at a high level," Stevenson said.
As Johnson works to make sure his conditioning is where it needs to be to be available Monday night, the idea of him traveling across the defense in coverage with Justin Jefferson, Minnesota's top wideout, may have to wait.
"For this game, it's hard to say," Johnson said this week. "I feel like it would be a situation where we had to figure out what that game plan looks like. But, I mean, as far as what I've been doing, I know I've been putting a lot of work outside the facility as well, so I'm confident in that. But again, that would be something I'll feel more so in the game, in that situation."
Added Johnson: "I like to say I can go out there and play. But I mean, it's definitely hard to. 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."