For this year’s Black Friday game, the Chicago Bears travel to Philadelphia to face off with the Eagles in a battle of 8-3 teams. This is going to be an exciting matchup, and the stakes are incredibly high for the Bears.
One of this year’s Thanksgiving Day games pits the Green Bay Packers against the Detroit Lions. With both teams having seven wins and currently owning tiebreakers over the Bears, a win by either team would push them to first place in the NFC North going into Friday.
This would mean the Bears would have to win to keep their hold on first place in the division, and the good news for them is that reinforcements are here.
Chicago Gets Two of Its Key Defensive Players Back
Compared to the offense, the Bears’ defense is a weak link. Granted, the unit’s penchant for forcing turnovers (19.8% turnover rate on defense (No. 1 in NFL) according to PFSN’s Defensive Impact Metric) has helped nullify some sub-par play at times.
Still, sustaining this success will not be easy, but overall, the Bears’ defense does get a boost for Friday’s game.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, DBs Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are set to return from IR.
Help is on the way: The #Bears are activating Pro Bowl CB Jaylon Johnson and starting DB Kyler Gordon from IR in advance of Friday’s game vs. the #Eagles, sources say.
Gordon has been dealing with groin and calf injuries, while Johnson had surgery to repair a core muscle. pic.twitter.com/e0dqJnjPfO
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 27, 2025
How Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon Improve the Bears’ Defense
As mentioned before, the Bears’ defense has struggled this season. As of now, per PFSN’s Defensive Impact Metric, Chicago’s defensive rank is 25th. Looking further, the Bears give up nearly a league-worst 6.1 yards per play (30th), and rank No. 26 in red-zone touchdown percentage allowed (61.5).
Clearly, the Bears’ defense has plenty of room for improvement, and if the Super Bowl is truly a goal, they’ll need to tighten up down the stretch run, something that Johnson and Gordon could certainly help with.
Just two seasons ago, Johnson was one of the best corners in the NFL, recording 10 defensed passes, including four interceptions (one pick-six). Once he has a chance to get fully acclimated to coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense, Johnson has the talent to get back to that level of play.
Meanwhile, Gordon has steadily improved since his 2022 rookie season and developed into a solid all-around cornerback that also lends plenty of support in the run game.
READ MORE:Â Week 13 NFL Power Rankings: Eagles Fall After Loss to Cowboys, Steelers Tumble
Getting two starters of the caliber of Johnson and Gordon back on the field for the most critical part of the season could be just what Chicago needs to remain a serious contender in head coach Ben Johnson’s first season at the helm.
