Bears Injury Woes Deepen Ahead Lions 2025 Home Opener

The Chicago Bears face the Detroit Lions in their 2025 Week 2 NFC North matchup amid significant concerns about injuries and penalties. Key Bears players linebacker T.J. Edwards and cornerback Jaylon Johnson are expected to return after missing Week 1, providing a boost to a defense that struggled against the Vikings without them, while starting cornerback Kyler Gordon remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. The Bears' defensive line, including Grady Jarrett, is dealing with injuries that could impact their performance, making Johnson's presence crucial to counteract the Lions' mobile quarterback Caleb Williams, who poses a dual-threat challenge. The Bears also struggled with discipline in their Week 1 loss, committing 12 penalties, including pre-snap false starts largely by offensive linemen, highlighting ongoing issues with adjusting to head coach Ben Johnson's system. Meanwhile, the Lions are aware of the need to pressure Williams, having sacked him seven times last season, and must capitalize on their defensive line's ability to disrupt the Bears' offense, which has been weakened by injuries and inconsistency. Both teams enter the game with the urgency to avoid a 0-2 start, intensifying the importance of health, execution, and minimizing mistakes on Sunday.