In the final minutes of the fourth quarter on Sunday at Soldier Field, Josh Blackwell was surprised to find himself on the field at the end of the 24-24 preseason tie with the Miami Dolphins.

It’s not that the veteran doesn’t believe he has to compete for a roster spot, but as the starting nickel back at the beginning of the game with Kyler Gordon, who has a minor hamstring injury, and other starters out, he didn’t figure he’d be closing out the game.

“We didn’t have anyone left,” Blackwell said. “I was just watching them and it was like, boom, boom, boom. Everybody else but me (Jeremiah) Walker and Tre (Flowers) were out (or done playing on a rep count). Everybody. So, here we go.”

The Bears addressed the thinning ranks on Monday when they had eight defensive backs at Halas Hall for a tryout. The club is expected to sign three of them, according to league sources. Safety Mark Perry, cornerbacks Mekhi Garner and Kaleb Hayes are expected to receive contracts and be on the practice field when the team returns to work Wednesday.

All three potential additions have limited experience. That’s probably good news — it could mean the team isn’t overly concerned that many of the injury issues will carry into the regular season.

No. 1 cornerback Jaylon Johnson has missed all of training camp with a leg injury suffered in training just before the reporting date. His availability for the Week 1 game with the Minnesota Vikings is at least somewhat in question.

Gordon and cornerbacks Nick McCloud (unknown injury), Ameer Speed (unknown injury) and Zah Frazier (personal) all missed the Dolphins game. Cornerback Terell Smith left the game with a groin injury, all of which led to Blackwell playing at the end of the game and logging 32 snaps. Speed was waived/injured Monday to make room for running back Brittain Brown.

Garner played three games with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023. Hayes and Perry have each been with four NFL teams but have yet to appear in a regular-season game.

If the Bears were dealing with more significant injuries in the secondary, it’s likely they would have been looking at more experienced players. They’ve got good depth in the defensive backfield when they’re healthy.

Also in the tryout were Kalon Barnes, Millard Bradford, Keni-H Lovely, Benny Sapp III and Jason Taylor. The team will need to make corresponding roster moves for any additions.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/11/chicago-bears-defensive-backs-signed-injuries/