Brad Biggs answers your Chicago Bears questions weekly.
With all of the injuries the Bears are dealing with this season, will the team re-evaluate the training and strength staffs at the end of the season? — Sherm P., Tinley Park
That’s been the knee-jerk reaction from countless readers over the last week. I’ve got a series of thoughts and opinions on this. The Bears were really wiped out on defense for Sunday’s 31-28 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Soldier Field and the coaching staff did a fine job adjusting. Beyond that one game, I don’t believe the Bears have been as crushed by injuries as most folks would lead you to believe. They’ve been very fortunate with a lack of injuries to their offense.
Yes, they’ve been without cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon for most of the season. It seems off-base to pin Johnson’s situation on the team when he showed up for training camp injured, the result of a workout he was doing on his own. As far as Gordon, he’s a guy who has dealt with a series of soft tissue injuries in previous seasons, ones that generally meant time missed during the offseason and training camp and not as much in-season. He’s got a history of soft-tissue ailments and I am sure it was something the club considered before Gordon’s contract was extended. I’d bet it’s something the team sits down to address with him at the end of this season.
Linebacker T.J. Edwards has been out the last three weeks recovering from surgery to repair a broken hand. He’s also been listed with a hamstring injury, something that slowed him earlier in the season. I view that as more of an anomaly because Edwards has a track record for durability in his career. It’s not like the Bears shifted him to some type of program that made him suddenly susceptible to a muscle pull. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds has also been very durable in his career. These things happen. A lot of athletes in the NFL are very tightly wound. That’s what makes them fast. It’s also something that can lead to injuries.
I guarantee the Bears will sit down at the end of the season and do a methodical study of the injuries, their programs, including player recovery, and every step that was taken along the way. This is standard procedure annually.
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The voluntary NFL offseason program begins in early April for teams with new head coaches (including the Bears in 2025) and mid-April for other clubs (the Bears in 2026). It’s nine weeks long. Then, players get a break that lasts about six weeks before training camp. Once players leave the facility, they are on their own to work with personal coaches, by themselves or whatever. The Bears’ strength coaches and trainers aren’t doing work with players in that part of the calendar year unless they are choosing to show up at Halas Hall.
The most successful strength coaches and trainers are going to tell you it’s difficult to have a detailed plan for an athlete and then only see them for nine weeks.
The staff probably deserves some credit for managing the groin injury that has hampered running back D’Andre Swift for much of the season. He’s only missed one game. I know players who will say they believe they’re getting quality support from those areas.
There’s no question the Bears will take a close look at this when the season is over. Maybe they make a change at the end of the year. I don’t know. I’m not talking about any specific situations here, but sometimes the player needs to take a level of accountability for injuries. There’s a reason why the most durable players have finely detailed plans to prepare their body for a game each week, plans that involve diet, hydration, sleep, stretching, weight work, recovery time and everything else you can imagine.
With the way Ozzy Trapilo played Sunday, do you think he will be the starting left tackle moving forward? — @williamsfc18
Bears offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo (75) works to protect quarterback Caleb Williams in the second quarter against the Steelers at Soldier Field on Nov. 23, 2025, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
I don’t envision the Bears making a permanent switch at left tackle based on one game, but that’s just a hunch. I say that because the coaching staff has been pretty consistent with its messaging since Benedet took over for Braxton Jones at the midpoint of the Week 4 game at Las Vegas. Offensive line coach Dan Roushar has cited incremental improvement by Benedet as he’s gone along. Roushar has said it’s not where the team needs the position to be and it needs to be better — but he always circles back to the fact that Benedet is making steady gains.
If we’ve learned anything about how Roushar and the coaching staff operate so far, it’s that they are pretty blunt. I call it real talk. They explained Trapilo hit a wall at left tackle during training camp when he fell out of the competition for the job. Roushar was pretty critical of right tackle Darnell Wright in early August. They call it like they see it and they’re sending the same message to the players.
Based on that, and assuming Benedet’s quad injury doesn’t keep him out too long, my belief is he’ll be back in the lineup when healthy. Trapilo playing well against a talented front gives the Bears some comfort if they want to make sure Benedet is close to 100% before returning.
Trapilo’s play was yet another positive development for the offensive line. I don’t know if he ultimately profiles as a left tackle. That might be something the club has to further explore in the offseason, but for a first showing and to come out of the game without any glaring mistakes that cost the team a possession or similar, it’s a reason for optimism.
“Credit to Ozzy for stepping up and having not played a lot of ball yet this year,” coach Ben Johnson said. “He played a really solid game for us. I thought it was really good.”
Why do they have so many problems making defensive adjustments? — @josemulero5
I thought the Bears did a pretty good job of adjusting on Sunday. They figured out early that Mason Rudolph wasn’t going to challenge them downfield a lot and really didn’t want to throw the ball into the middle of the field, so they stacked the box consistently from then on. Pittsburgh managed only 61 yards rushing on 20 carries in the second half. The Steelers scored 28 points, but one touchdown came on Caleb Williams’ fumble in the end zone. Considering the Bears were down five defensive starters and were wiped out at linebacker, I’d say they adjusted pretty well during the week of preparation and then as the game went on.
Are the Bears a better team than, say, the Week 2 loss at Detroit? I look at the schedule and only the Browns game looks like a W. Not to be a downer but I’m looking forward to next year. Caleb Williams will be one year in with Ben Johnson and I think Williams needs time. — @brooklyncorn
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) is tackled by Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) in the first quarter at Ford Field on Sept. 14, 2025, in Detroit. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
The beauty of the schedule is that we will all be able to make a judgment on how much better the Bears are in relation to the egg they laid in Week 2 at Ford Field when they host the Lions at Soldier Field to conclude the season in Week 18. We can point to statistical improvements the team has made since and note the great run the Bears are on, having won eight of their nine games since that 52-21 defeat. Then, we can watch the two teams go at it in a game that could have major playoff implications.
Yes, I believe the Bears are a much better team than the one that played Detroit in Week 2 and they’re better than the one that played at Washington in Week 6. They’re showing steady improvement.
Based on the way the Bears have played, I think it’s likely they peel off multiple wins over the final six games to get to 10 or even more victories. Johnson has really fast-tracked the rebuild at Halas Hall and there’s real reason for optimism — not just for December and maybe even January but for the 2026 season.
The concern is that it will be difficult to replicate a sustained run of narrow victories over opponents that represent a step up in class.
The Bears’ point differential through 11 games is minus-3. Going back to 1970 for teams with an 8-3 record, that’s the second-lowest figure there is. The 2020 Cleveland Browns started 8-3. Yes, it’s a little difficult for me to recall them having success that recently. That team had a minus-21 point differential at that point in the season. The good news? The Browns went on to topple the Steelers in the wild-card round of the playoffs in a wild 48-37 ballgame. Cleveland then played close at Kansas City in the divisional round before losing 22-17.
The 1987 San Diego Chargers fit the criteria. They had a minus-8 point differential after an 8-3 start but I am excluding them because that season had a three-game stretch with replacement players during the strike.
There have been 162 other teams that began 8-3 since 1970 (excluding 1987) and none had a negative point differential. At the top of the list are the 2012 New England Patriots, who were a remarkable plus-163. The 2023 Dallas Cowboys were plus-162. The 2018 Bears were plus-106. The Bears were also plus-102 in 2012 when they were 8-3 and before the season fizzled. The 2010 team that started 8-3, won the division and eventually reached the NFC Championship Game was plus-50.
The 2022 Minnesota Vikings are fascinating to look at. They were 9-2 through their first 11 games and had a plus-5 point differential. They won the division at 13-4 before losing to the New York Giants 31-24 in a wild-card meeting.
There’s a lot to be said for a team that is playing with momentum and consistently finding different paths to victory with different players rising to the occasion on a weekly basis. Let’s see what the remainder of this season holds before turning our focus to 2026.
Do you see Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon and/or T.J. Edwards back this week? — @ajhundal1
Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards shoves Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels out of bounds in the third quarter at Northwest Stadium Oct. 13, 2025, in Landover, Maryland. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
The fastest way to get into trouble and make mistakes is to start speculating about injuries. It’s like throwing darts in the dark because you’re operating with only a sliver of information.
If you plant your flag based on a hunch, you’re going to be right every once in a while. And then four times out of five (or worse), you’re going to be dead wrong.
Here’s what I know: The Bears pledged they were going to be smart in bringing Johnson and Gordon back from what are the second extended injury absences they’ve had. With this being a short week before the trip to Philadelphia, I think it’s fair to assume the club chose the conservative route in not activating the cornerbacks for Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh. But making assumptions about injuries is stepping out on a limb.
There’s one practice this week — on Wednesday — and if all goes well, I would not be surprised if one or both are back in the mix. It also wouldn’t surprise me if they are on some type of snap count in the game based on the long layoffs they’ve each had. But don’t rule out the possibility that the short week and only one practice puts the team in a spot where it wants to wait for the Dec. 7 game at Green Bay.
As far as Edwards goes, he’s missed the last three games following a broken hand that was suffered Nov. 2 at Cincinnati. He also had a hamstring injury. My hunch is the hand, following surgery, has been the thing holding him out here of late. Given that he was not placed on IR following the Bengals game, you’d think there is a decent chance he’s an option on Friday. That will obviously hinge on what he does Wednesday. Edwards hasn’t been on the field in 23 days now.
You should know by the time you sit down for a Thanksgiving meal if Johnson and/or Gordon are options for Friday. If the Bears plan to activate them for the week, they will have to do so before departing for Philadelphia on Thursday.
Do the Bears have more games that could be flexed into prime time? — A.J., Peotone
I don’t believe the team has any more games that will be flexed, per se, into prime time before possibly the Week 18 finale against the Lions at Soldier Field. There will be only five more games after Friday’s game at Philadelphia. The Packers game on Dec. 7 at Lambeau Field has already been shifted into the 3:25 p.m. national slot on Fox.
The game to watch for right now is the Week 16 game against the Packers at Soldier Field. That is one of two Saturday games scheduled for Dec. 20. The other is Eagles at Commanders. One game will start at 4 p.m. and the other at 7:20 p.m. You can go ahead and earmark that Bears game for the 7:20 slot. I don’t see the league putting a struggling Washington team in prime time. There are three first-round college football playoff games that day, too, with the last one starting at 6 p.m. The NFL will want to go head-to-head with the college ranks for viewers with its best matchup. Of these two choices, it’s easily Packers-Bears.
Week 12 photos: Chicago Bears 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 28
The Bears will play on Sunday night the following week at San Francisco and it’s anyone’s guess what happens with the Week 18 schedule. Lions-Bears could easily be among a small handful of games the league picks from for the prime time slot to wrap up the season.
Why did the Bears opt to use Nikola Kalinic as a fourth tight end instead of Stephen Carlson? — Nathan B., LaGrange
Bears tight end Nikola Kalinic celebrates with special teams coordinator Richard Hightower after defeating the Steelers 31-28 on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
The Bears already used a practice squad elevation for Carlson three times this season and that is the maximum. The good news for Carlson is that three is the magic number players need for a credited season, which will impact his NFLPA benefits when he’s done playing. The bad news for Carlson is that for him to play in a game now, the team will have to sign him from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.
With special teams in mind, the team bumped up Kalinic for the first time this season. He had 16 snaps on special teams and was credited with a tackle and a forced fumble. He logged 70 snaps on special teams in previous stints with the Los Angeles Rams and Indianapolis Colts, and he caught the attention of the coaching staff on Sunday.
“A guy like Nico, who had been on practice squad all year long, stepped to the forefront there and did a really nice job,” Ben Johnson said. “So that was good. He’s another guy that I didn’t even talk about (Sunday) night but just another example of these guys stepping up when their number is called.”
However, the Bears placed Kalinic on the practice squad injured list on Monday.
Did the Bears get away with an illegal formation on the Colston Loveland touchdown? It looked like the left tackle was uncovered. — @dub24778
That’s a good catch by you. I went back and looked at the play and wide receivers Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze are outside of Ozzy Trapilo at left tackle. It looks like both are a solid yard off the line of scrimmage. I sent a screen grab of the formation from just before the snap to an officiating source and he said, “the camera angle makes it look illegal. One of those two receivers should be on the line but I’d need a better angle to verify.”
Here’s the rub: If line judge Carl Johnson deems Odunze, on the outside, to be on the line, he is. Before the snap, Odunze signaled to Johnson to make sure he was on the line and he got the green light. So, this is a judgment call by Johnson. It’s very close for sure but if you get pre-snap approval from the official, you’re good.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/25/chicago-bears-mailbag-training-staff-injuries/
