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Bears rookie offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo will not play in Week 2.
The Chicago Bears won’t have two of their second-round rookie draft picks available for Sunday’s road game against the Detroit Lions in Week 2.
Before kickoff, the Bears scratched both second-round offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo and second-round defensive tackle Shemar Turner from their lineup on their inactives list. While Turner is still getting back up to speed after missing time in the summer with an injury, Trapilo — who vied for the Bears‘ swing tackle role — is a healthy scratch.
On a positive note, Bears veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett is active for Sunday’s game against the Lions. He had entered the matchup with a questionable designation on the injury report after missing the first two practices of the week, but the 32-year-old did make his way back to the field as a limited participant for Friday’s walkthrough.
The Bears‘ other inactives for Week 2 include: cornerback Kyler Gordon (hamstring), wide receiver Jahdae Walker (ankle), offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie and veteran quarterback Case Keenum.
The Bears will kick off against the Lions at Ford Field at 1 p.m. ET today.
Bears Are Underdogs for Road Matchup Against Lions
For a second straight week, the Bears are betting underdogs in the eyes of oddmakers, and a little steeper this time after their season-opening collapse against Minnesota.
Both DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook have the Bears listed as six-point underdogs for Week 2’s road game against the Lions, who started the season 0-1 but are the two-time reigning NFC North champions. The over/under is 46.5 points.
The Bears have some work to do before the oddsmakers in Vegas show confidence in their ability to win football games. While new head coach Ben Johnson has injected new life and energy into the organization, the problems that plagued the Bears in Week 1 are not too different from the ones that hurt them in 2024, when they won just five games.
A win over the Lions and a jump to 1-1 would certainly help Chicago’s case, though.
Jaylon Johnson Cleared to Make 2025 Debut in Detroit
While the Bears‘ injury report is not vacant, they did manage to clear one critical name off the list this week after a full week of practice: All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
Johnson — who does not have an injury designation for Week 2 — will make his season debut against the Lions on Sunday after missing Week 1’s game and all of training camp for the Bears with a groin injury. The 26-year-old had injured his groin while training on his own in the summer before reporting to the team facility for camp in late July.
With Johnson back on the field, the Bears should have a stronger secondary unit than the one they touted in their season opener — which held the Vikings in check reasonably well until everything started to collapse in the fourth quarter. He is their best coverage player, ranking in the 98th percentile of PFF’s advanced coverage grading in 2024.
That should help against the Lions, even if it is still an uphill battle.
Will Bears Strike Better RB Balance in Backfield?
The Bears didn’t accomplish much with their run game against the Vikings last week.
Veteran D’Andre Swift rushed 17 times for 53 yards — good for just 3.1 yards per carry — and caught three of his five targets for 12 yards in an inefficient performance. The Bears also ran the ball three times with veteran wide receiver D.J. Moore, but he netted just 8 yards on his fruitless carries. Bears rookie Kyle Monangai did not take a single carry.
I need to call more runs,” Johnson admitted Tuesday when asked about what the Bears can do to improve their run game heading into Week 2’s matchup with the Lions.
Fortunately, the Bears will have more personnel available against the Lions now that Roschon Johnson — a 2023 fourth-rounder — is off the injury report. Johnson missed the last few weeks of camp and the opening game of the season with a foot injury, but he scored six touchdowns in 2024 as the team’s preferred goal-line/short-yardage back.
Bears Facing ‘Elite’ Lions Offensive Players on Sunday
The Bears struggled to contain the Vikings offense down the stretch of their first game, allowing them to score three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and eek out a 27-24 win. Things won’t get any easier for them in Week 2, either — when they take on an offense loaded with “elite” players with whom Johnson is well acquainted from previous years.
“I think they have a couple players on that offense who are elite in this league,” Johnson said earlier this week. “Until you’re out there — you see it on tape, but we’ve been talking about it all week.”
The Lions have the talent to attack the Bears either on land or through the air. Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery form a two-handed dragon in Detroit’s backfield, coming off a 2024 season in which they helped the Lions finish sixth in rushing yards (2,488 yards) and tied for second in rushing touchdowns (29).
In the passing game, the Lions rely on the steady arm of veteran starter Jared Goff and their myriad of reliable pass-catchers, from top wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams to standout tight end Sam LaPorta. They also saw rookie Isaac TeSlaa score his first NFL touchdown in Week 1’s loss to the Green Bay Packers.
In other words, the Bears will need to bring their A-game to Detroit on Sunday and ensure they finish the fight better than they did against the Vikings in Week 1.
Jordan J. Wilson is a sports reporter who covers the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. He has previously covered all levels of sports — high school, college and pro — for a variety of publications including The Indianapolis Star, The News-Gazette, Springfield State-Journal Register and Peoria Journal Star. More about Jordan J. Wilson