The Bears are trying to get through training camp with a battered secondary, and one of their biggest NFC North rivals is in a similar spot.
Detroit placed three players on the Physically Unable to Perform list: Brian Branch, Tyler Conklin and Kerby Joseph. That’s a problem for the Lions, especially because Branch and Joseph are starters in the secondary. The situation got even thinner after Detroit already had to release cornerback Terrion Arnold, leaving the Lions without three starters over the last month heading into camp.
Chicago has its own issues to sort out on the back end. Starting slot cornerback Kyler Gordon is not fully healthy and won’t be practicing at the start of training camp.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson has already voiced concerns about Gordon, and it’s not a great sign for a player who appeared in only three games last season because of a soft-tissue injury. Gordon also missed all of OTAs.
That matters in a division that looks like it could be a grind from top to bottom. The Green Bay Packers are always in the mix, and the Vikings have upgraded at quarterback, which could make them better. Neither Chicago nor Detroit can afford to be short-handed in the secondary with that kind of competition waiting.
There is at least one opening here for the Bears. If Branch and Joseph are sidelined for any length of time, Chicago may have a better path than expected to make a push in the division.
The Lions enter the season with the easiest schedule in the NFL, while the Bears have the toughest, so every edge counts. No one is pretending this will be a simple year for Chicago, but if there’s a moment to chip away at Detroit’s hold on the NFC North, this could be it.
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