Bears HC Ben Johnson shares injury updates before final open practice

The Chicago Bears are nearing the conclusion of their training camp and final preseason game this Saturday, signaling the approach of the regular season. Throughout the summer, the team has faced a multitude of injuries. During Tuesday's final open practice, head coach Ben Johnson provided significant injury updates.

Johnson announced that safety Elijah Hicks and linebacker Keyshaun Elliott will return to the team sooner rather than later. Following this, the Bears activated Hicks and Elliott from the physically unable to perform list, where they had been throughout training camp. The return of these two players is particularly encouraging, as their defense has been plagued by injuries.

With starting safety Coby Bryant anticipated to miss 4-6 months following knee surgery, Hicks will play a crucial role in bolstering depth at the safety position. However, it remains uncertain if rookie Elliott, the fifth-round pick, will make the roster without having participated in any practices this summer.

Currently, three players are on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list: cornerback Kyler Gordon, defensive tackle Shemar Turner, and linebacker Noah Sewell. Johnson mentioned that Turner and Sewell's return timelines are unknown, and while he did not provide an official update on Tuesday, he has previously stated on multiple occasions that Gordon's return timeline remains unknown.

With the final roster cutdowns on Sunday night, it appears highly likely that Turner and/or Sewell will start the regular season on the PUP list.

As practice commenced on Tuesday, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (week-to-week) and quarterback Tyson Bagent (week-to-week) were both present.