Two more Bears’ defensive players ruled out for the season

LAKE FOREST – This has not been a good week for the Bears when it comes to injuries, and the news only got worse on Friday.

Ahead of the Bears’ game against the Bills at Soldier Field, the Bears have placed cornerback Jaylon Johnson on injured reserve as he deals with an injury to both his finger and ribs.

This may be a surprise since Johnson was listed as questionable for the game against Buffalo in the team’s final injury report on Thursday. He was a full participant in Tuesday and Wednesday’s practice before being limited for the final workout at Halas Hall.

A day later, Johnson was shut down due to the injuries, as his third NFL campaign comes to an early end.

Also out for the season is cornerback Kindle Vildor, who was also placed on season-ending IR on Friday. He missed the Packers game and had already been ruled out for the contest against the Bills with an ankle injury.

Earlier this week, rookie linebacker Jack Sanborn, who has been starting at linebacker since November, was placed on season-ending injured reserve with an ankle injury of his own.

Completing his third season with the Bears, Johnson played in 11 games in 2022, missing three contests in September and October due to a quad injury suffered in practice. He finished with seven passes defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery along with 35 tackles as the Bears’ No. 1 cornerback.

Similar to Johnson, Vildor played in 11 games in his third season with the Bears, making nine starts. He finished with five passes defended, an interception, and 34 tackles.

Some good news for the Bears comes from the fact that Khalil Herbert, who has been out of the lineup since November 13 with a hip injury, has been activated off injured reserve and will play Saturday.