The Chicago Bears are battling attrition, and at multiple positions, heading into their Week 3 home tilt against the Dallas Cowboys, with their most significant absences coming on the defensive side of the ball, forcing a rash of roster moves.
They already knew they would be without Jaylon Johnson to start the week, with T.J. Edwards and Kyler Gordon in a similar boat. With their roster short, the Bears signed defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon to the 53-man roster.
Still, that was only part of the action on a busy day at Halas Hall.
Bears Get Good News Before Hosting Cowboys in Week 3
Bears Get Good News on D’Andre Swift
Running back D’Andre Swift is among the names the Bears are at risk of being without on Sunday. But ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported the 2023 Pro Bowler will suit up and at least give it a go against the Cowboys and his former head coach, Matt Eberflus, now the DC in Dallas.
Swift has had an uneven season, mixing in solid runs with missed opportunities for bigger plays.
He has rushed 29 times for 116 yards, giving him a 4.0-yards-per-carry average that ranks 22nd among qualifiers.
Swift is also the only Bears back who can impact the passing game as well as the run, though his 18 yards on six receptions hardly seem irreplaceable. Rookie seventh-round pick Kyle Monongai has struggled with pass protection and received few actual carries (7-28-0).
Young veteran Roschon Johnson, now healthy, has not received a carry this season.
All 18 of his snaps came on special teams in Week 2, and he is still not much of a threat to break off a big play as much as he is a short-yardage option.
With practice squadder Brittain Brown as their only other option, aside from wide receiver DJ Moore, the Bears need Swift to be available – and be better than he has been – against the Cowboys if he can suit up.
Bears Lose Jaylon Johnson to IR
Johnson and Edwards returned to action in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions after sitting out the opener against the Minnesota Vikings on “Monday Night Football.” Both players exited the contest early, with Edwards aggravating his hamstring issue.
Johnson, however, suffered a new groin issue that was different from the one that, along with a calf ailment, kept him sidelined during the Bears’ offseason program through his brief debut.
Neither player practiced all week, but the extent of their injuries has been kept close to the vest.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson stated that he was unsure of the severity of Jaylon Johnson’s injury, but did concede that he would miss the Cowboys game. This move assures Johnson will not return before Week 8, when the Bears will visit the Baltimore Ravens.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on September 20, Johnson remains “out indefinitely” with the groin issue.
Gordon has not played at all this season and remains “week to week” according to Johnson.
That is an ominous group of players to be without against a Cowboys team helmed by Dak Prescott and featuring bigger-bodied playmakers in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens at wide receiver, and a revamped running game featuring Javonte Williams.
In addition to Passagnoh, who is taking Johnson’s roster spot and has flashed since his arrival, the Bears elevated LB Carl Jones and CB Dallis Flowers from the practice squad.
Kiran Amegadjie Joins Jaylon Johnson on IR
Bears 2024 third-round draft pick Kiran Amegadjie is joining Johnson on injured reserve, and while he is a backup, it is a striking development. Amegadjie was a third-round draft pick in 2024, who missed most of the season recovering from a quad injury.
He returned late in the season and was thrust into a role he was ill-prepared for at left tackle.
Amegadjie was surprisingly in the mix to start at left tackle this offseason. Theo Benedet ultimately replaced him in the competition that Braxton Jones won, while Amegadjie settled into a reserve guard role.
The Bears have had offensive line issues early on this season, mostly regarding pre-snap penalties. Amegadjie may not have been at the forefront of the discussion as a potential replacement for any one of the starting five. It is too soon for that anyway.
He will not be an option at all for the next four games, though.
Amegadjie and Johnson join a lengthy list of players on IR for the Bears, though most are reserves, including CB Terell Smith, defensive end Austin Booker, and RB Travis Homer.
Cowboys Add Standout Defender to Injury Report
The Bears got more good news on the injury front, though it comes from the Cowboys’ side of things, with Pro Bowl corner Trevon Diggs “questionable.”
“Trevon Diggs (knee) was added to the injury report on Saturday, and he is questionable for tomorrow’s game at Chicago,” Cowboys PR posted on X on September 20. “The @dallascowboys also elevated CB Zion Childress and CB Robert Rochell from the practice squad.”
The Bears and Cowboys can hit big plays and will miss key defenders. A shootout could ensue.