Terell Smith Injury Update: Bears CB's season in jeopardy as Ben Johnson hints at major setback after injury during preseason game vs. Bills

Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson gave an update on Wednesday on cornerback Terell Smith’s injury status. The former Minnesota Golden Gophers standout was carted off during the Bears' preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

Details about the severity of the injury were not immediately available. However, Johnson ruled him out for the rest of the season, according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.

“Ben Johnson said that CB Terell Smith is out for the season. He’ll be placed on injured reserve after injuring his leg on Sunday,” Cronin tweeted.

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

Chicago defeated Buffalo 38-0, but Smith went down in the second quarter with a noncontact knee injury. The cornerback attempted to cut while covering Bills receiver Kristian Wilkerson.

Smith held his left knee, leaving Wilkerson to catch Mike White’s pass from 25 yards out. He recorded two tackles before the injury forced him to abandon the game.

Smith was a fifth-round pick in 2023, and has appeared in 26 games, including six starts. He has amassed 68 tackles, 10 passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in his career. Smith also had an interception last season.

Dennis Allen on Terell Smith’s injury

Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen also discussed Terell Smith’s injury during a press interview on Tuesday.

“I thought he was making a lot of progress," Allen said. "The injury’s an unfortunate situation. He’s a quiet guy, but he comes to work every day and does his job. He’s been good for us to work with.”

The Bears cornerback room has been dealing with injuries since training camp opened. Jaylon Johnson is out with a leg injury, while Kyler Gordon is also sidelined with a hamstring issue. Additionally, Chicago has three more defensive backs out on the injured reserve list or waived.

The Bears will look to Nick McCloud to fill Smith’s spot. McCloud signed a one-year contract with the team in March and has since impressed the coaching staff.

Chicago will face Minnesota on Sept. 8 for its first game of the 2025 season.

About the author

Kayode is a College and High School Sports writer at Sportskeeda since June 2023. Hailing from Nigeria, he has an undergraduate degree in Linguistics and African Languages, and has previously had stints as an entertainment and politics writer for around 7 months. Adept at creating content around historical perspectives, he strives to report stories based only on verified information. His mantra is - truth is always more important than sensationalism.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Kayode admires how Nick Saban developed talent at the team and delivered consistent results, and hopes that the post-Saban era is just as fruitful. He is thoroughly impressed by Johnny Manziel’s talent, and feels that Shedeur Sanders is massively underrated. Nick Saban is his all-time favorite college coach.

While Kayode believes there is little to separate college and mainstream sports, pro leagues absorbing the best athletes leads to their quality being higher. Witnessing the Colorado Buffaloes’ hot streak at start the 2023 football season was one of his all-time favorite college sports moments.

When not writing, Kayode enjoys reading and watching sports documentaries. His most recent watch was "Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In."

Know More

"Caught more bags than touchdowns": NFL fans react to Garrett Wilson's blockbuster $130,000,000 contract extension

Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez