Chicago Bears’ Soft Tissue Injury Plague Raises Serious Questions About Conditioning Program
Injuries are part of the NFL’s DNA. The game is fast, physical, and unforgiving.
But not all injuries are created equal - and what’s been happening in Chicago this season goes beyond just bad luck or the usual wear and tear of a 17-game grind. The Bears have been hit hard by a specific kind of injury: soft tissue issues.
And that’s the kind of trend that points directly to a bigger problem.
We’re talking hamstrings, groins, calves - the kinds of muscle strains that, while not uncommon in pro sports, are often seen in higher numbers on teams with questionable conditioning or recovery programs. For the Bears, it’s been a season-long epidemic.
Chicago players have missed a combined 36 games due to soft tissue injuries. That’s not just a red flag - that’s a siren.
Kyler Gordon has become the face of this issue, landing on injured reserve twice this year with soft tissue setbacks. He’s far from alone.
Linebacker T.J. Edwards is the latest name added to the list, now dealing with a glute injury after already missing time earlier in the season with a hamstring problem.
When guys are going down with similar types of injuries over and over again, it’s time to look beyond the players and start asking questions about the program that’s supposed to keep them healthy.
Conditioning Under the Microscope
This all leads back to the Bears’ training and strength staff. Andre Tucker has been the team’s head athletic trainer since 2018.
Pierre Ngo was promoted to head strength and conditioning coach this past offseason. On paper, that continuity and promotion might suggest stability.
On the field, it’s telling a different story.
The Bears haven’t just dealt with a few fluky injuries. This has been a consistent pattern all season long.
And when soft tissue injuries keep piling up well into December, it suggests something systemic - not just a few unlucky breaks. These are the kinds of injuries that, with the right approach to conditioning, recovery, and load management, can often be minimized or avoided altogether.
That clearly hasn’t been happening in Chicago.
Now, to be clear, not every injury can be prevented. Torn ACLs, broken bones, and freak collisions are part of the game.
But soft tissue injuries? Those are the ones teams are supposed to be able to manage.
When they get out of control like this, it’s usually a sign that something is off in the way players are being prepared physically.
A Decision Looms in the Offseason
Head coach Ben Johnson can’t overhaul the training staff midseason. That’s just not how the NFL works.
But once the offseason arrives, this becomes one of the more pressing decisions facing the organization. Because before the Bears can think about competing for a championship, they have to win the battle of availability - and right now, they’re losing it.
The evidence is stacking up. This isn’t just a one-week issue or a bad month.
It’s been a season-long problem, and the numbers don’t lie. If the Bears want to build a team that can withstand the physical demands of a long season - and the even greater demands of postseason football - they need a conditioning program that works.
Right now, they don’t have that.
There’s talent on this roster. There’s a coaching staff with a vision.
But none of that matters if key players are sidelined week after week with injuries that shouldn’t be happening at this rate. The Bears have to take a hard look at their training infrastructure this offseason.
Because if they don’t, this problem isn’t going away - and neither is the frustration that comes with watching a promising team get held back by issues that are, in theory, preventable.