CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson indicated he might have season-ending surgery after suffering another groin injury in the team's blowout loss at Detroit.
“Everything as a whole just needs to get repaired,” Johnson said Monday in his weekly appearance on WSCR-AM. “I’m kind of just trying to figure out where I want to go from there. Trying to see what’s the best option, who’s the best option, what that looks like, the timeline and things like that. I’m kind of all trying to figure it out myself.”
Johnson missed training camp, the preseason and the season opener because of a groin injury. But he said the new injury is in a different part of that region.
Johnson was hurt breaking up a pass intended for Amon-Ra St. Brown early in the second quarter of Sunday's 52-21 loss to the Lions. He stayed on his stomach after lunging to make the play.
“When you put in so much time, put in so much effort, of course it hurts when you’re looking pretty much for your season to be ended, and it’s not ideal,” Johnson said. “I put in an extreme amount of work and preparation.”
Johnson previously injured his groin in what he recently described as a “freak accident” while working with some receivers in Las Vegas over the summer. He said he partially tore the adductor muscle from the pelvic bone, and he did not start practicing until the week leading up to the season-opening loss to Minnesota.
Though he acknowledged an urgency to play, Johnson dismissed the idea that he rushed back from the initial injury. Some expected soreness aside, he felt “really good” in practices and had no regrets about suiting up against Detroit.
“I felt comfortable playing,” he said. “I definitely pushed myself good enough. I felt strong.”
Johnson said it’s “tricky” to “give a definitive answer” on a timeline for his return because he is weighing his options.
Losing Johnson is a huge issue for the Bears, who gave up 511 yards against Detroit. The 52 points allowed were three shy of the franchise record.
“I do see sticky coverage, I see coverability,” coach Ben Johnson said. “He certainly can anticipate and he knows what’s coming a majority of the time. He does a great job with the film study. He’s a good player. He’s a Pro Bowl player for a reason and a guy that you want on the field for you, particularly when you give up that many passing yards.”
Jaylon Johnson, in his sixth season, made the Pro Bowl the past two years. He has six of his seven career interceptions in that span.
The Bears could be missing two more key players on defense when they host Dallas this week.
Linebacker T.J. Edwards (hamstring) also left the Detroit game after missing the opener, and cornerback Kyler Gordon sat out his second game because of a hamstring injury. Ben Johnson said both players are week to week.
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