The Chicago Bears will kick off training camp on July 29, where there will be a handful of players that are recovering from an injury.
The Bears defense was hit especially hard last season with injuries to key starters including cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson (back healthy) and Kyler Gordon, as well as linebacker T.J. Edwards and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo. There were also some brutal injuries in the playoffs to Edwards (another injury) and left tackle Ozzy Trapilo.
Here's a look at the Bears players returning to the field after their 2026 season was cut short or their offseason delayed.
LB T.J. Edwards
T.J. Edwards missed half of the 2025 season due to injuries, but he started all 10 games he played in and logged 67 tackles, an interception and 0.5 sack. Edwards suffered
a fractured fibula in Chicago's wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers, but he's on track to return in 2026. Unfortunately, he'll start training camp on the non-football injury list. But according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Edwards isn't expected to be on the NFI list for long "as he's dealing with a minor muscle strain."
CB Kyler Gordon
Kyler Gordon is once again in the headlines for his injury struggles and he's yet to play an entire NFL season. Last year, he missed 14 games and had two stints on injured reserve amid a slew of soft tissue issues including groin, hamstring and calf injuries. Gordon has been dealing with another soft tissue injury, and he was limited during the offseason program. With Gordon starting training camp on the NFI list, it's not an encouraging start for him heading into 2026. And the Bears must have a contingency plan in place as Gordon has yet to be dependable with his availability.
DE Dayo Odeyingbo
The Bears signed Dayo Odeyingbo to a hefty three-year, $48 million contract with $32 million guaranteed last offseason. Chicago took a chance on an unproven player, which failed miserably in Year 1. Odeyingbo played in just eight games, totaling 21 tackles, including two tackles for loss, one sack, four QB hits, 10 pressures before tearing his Achilles in a Week 9 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Chicago is banking on their returning cast of injured players to prove their worth in 2026. But there's no player under more pressure to perform on that defensive line than Odeyingbo, who garners a $20.5 million salary cap hit this season. The good news is Odeyingbo won't start the summer on the PUP list, which bodes well for his recovery.
LT Ozzy Trapilo
While it took awhile, the Bears appear to have found their left tackle in second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo, who was the third different starter but showed his potential as a long-term answer. But Trapilo suffered a brutal torn patellar tendon in the wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers, ending his postseason run and holding him out for what's expected to be a majority, if not all, of the 2026 season. It wasn't a surprise for Trapilo to land on the PUP list heading into training camp, as he's expected to miss extended time, and Chicago is once again looking for a starting left tackle this season.
LT Braxton Jones
Following Ozzy Trapilo's ruptured patellar tendon, veteran Braxton Jones got another opportunity to start for the Bears at left tackle in 2026. With Trapilo expected to miss most of 2026, it made sense for Chicago to re-sign Jones to a one-year deal, given he was a solid three-year starter before last season. The key for Jones is health, as he's been a reliable starter in the past. While it's easy to look at his struggles last season and write him off, Jones was still rehabbing from an injury and never got back to where he was. He also suffered a knee injury in the first half of the season, and he spent the remainder of the season on IR. For the second consecutive summer, Jones enters a competition for the starting left tackle job, where he's once again the favorite. He doesn't have an injury designation heading into camp.
DE Shemar Turner
Chicago used a second-round pick on Shemar Turner in the 2025 NFL Draft, but he failed to make an impact after suffering a season-ending injury just a month into his rookie season. Turner logged six total tackles, including two for loss, in five games before suffering a torn ACL in Week 8 against the Baltimore Ravens that ended his year before it really even began. GM Ryan Poles has high hopes for Turner in Year 2, predicting a breakout season when he returns. Unfortunately, Turner won't be available to start training camp as he's been placed on the PUP list.
CB Terell Smith
The Bears cornerback room was hit the hardest by injuries last season, continuing into the preseason with veteran Terell Smith, who suffered a season-ending injury to his left knee in a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. Smith had an impressive start to training camp, where he was battling for the second outside cornerback job opposite Jaylon Johnson with Tyrique Stevenson and Nahshon Wright. Smith has served as a key depth piece in the secondary, and he'll be looking to recapture his form this summer. The good news is he doesn't have an injury designation heading into training camp.
LB Noah Sewell
Noah Sewell suffered a torn Achilles during the Bears' Week 17 game against the San Francisco 49ers, which ended his 2025 season and is expected to carry over into 2026. Sewell is coming off an up-and-down third season in the NFL in a reserve role and special teams contributor. He will start training camp on the PUP list, although the timetable for Sewell's return is uncertain, but he is expected to return.
OT Jedrick Wills Jr.
The Bears signed former first-round pick Jedrick Wills Jr. this offseason to compete for the starting left tackle job with Braxton Jones. Wills got off to a solid start in his rookie season before injuries limited him in 2023 and 2024, where he played just 13 total games during those two seasons with the Cleveland Browns. He decided to sit out the 2025 season to allow himself to fully heal. Now, Wills gets an opportunity to work back to his full potential and perhaps even steal the starting left tackle job in 2026.
OT Kiran Amegadjie
It's looking more and more like Kiran Amegadjie will be the latest in a long line of failed third-round picks for GM Ryan Poles. Amegadjie failed to make a name for himself in the battle for left tackle, and he even got work inside and managed to secure a roster spot. But he played zero snaps last season and suffered an elbow injury in Week 3 that landed him on injured reserve. There's a real chance of him not making the 53-man roster, especially with undrafted riser Caden Barnett expected to make a push for a spot.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 10 Bears returning from injury heading into training camp
