Windy City Gridiron
Bleak news today on the injury front as the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs has reported that Terell Smith suffered a season-ending patellar tendon tear in the Chicago Bears’ 38-0 preseason victory over the Buffalo Bills. At his press conference earlier today, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson confirmed the news and said Smith would be placed on season-ending injured reserve.
The third-year cornerback from Minnesota was a fifth-round pick by the Bears in 2023. By all reports, he was having a solid training camp and preseason and seemed to be pushing for a more prominent role in Dennis Allen’s defense.
Smith has appeared in 26 games while starting 6 with the Bears since being drafted, primarily as a special teamer and depth cornerback.
He has recorded 68 tackles, 10 passes defended, and one interception in that span.
This is a big hit to the depth of the Bears’ secondary, as they’ve notably been without Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson since the start of training camp, but he is trending to return for the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. It remains unclear what the plan is to fill the hole left by Smith in the meantime.
Keep your eyes on Windy City Gridiron for more news on that in the future.
