The injury bug has begun nibbling at the Chicago Bears.
So much so that it reached the point where the team had eight (!) defensive backs in for tryouts on Monday. The Tribune’s Brad Biggs shares the list via BlueSky:
#Bears with concern about injuries in secondary. They had 8 DBs in for a tryout: Kalon Barnes Millard Bradford Mekhi Garner Kaleb Hayes Keni Lovely Mark Perry Benny Sapp Jason Taylor
— Brad Biggs (@bradbiggs.bsky.social) August 11, 2025 at 4:18 PMInjuries nudge Bears to host a laundry list of players for tryouts
This isn’t a list of household names, so let’s get to know some of the attendeeds of Monday’s Bears tryouts at Halas Hall:
Kalon Barnes, cornerback — The 26-year-old Baylor University product was a seventh-round draft pick (242nd overall) by the Carolina Panthers. Barnes ran a 4.23-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, so he has that going for him. Since leaving the Panthers, Barnes has spent time with six different NFL franchises (Panthers, Dolphins, Vikings, Steelers (twice), Jets, and Browns) in addition to the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas and the Edmonton Elks of the CFL. Millard Bradford, safety — Bradford played collegiately at TCU from 2019-23 before going undrafted in 2024. Despite not being drafted, Bradford latched on with the New Orleans Saints and appeared in three games with the team in 2024. Bradford made his pro debut on Nov. 3, 2023 — one day before the Saints fired Dennis Allen as their head coach. WIth Allen being the Bears’ current defensive coordinator, this is an easy connection to make.BEARS PRESEASON OPENER PROVIDES PLENTY OF OPTIMISM
Mekhi Garner, cornerback — The Texas-born Garner played a chunk of his college ball in Louisiana, playing for the University of Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (2019-21) and LSU Tigers (2022). Garner, who measures in at 6-foot-2, earned third-team All-Sun Belt in 2021 and does have some pro experience under his belt. He played three games for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023. Kaleb Hayes, cornerback — Hayes split time in college at Oregon State (2017-20) and BYU (2021-22) before going undrafted. As a pro, Hayes has made stops with the Jaguars (2023), New York Giants (2023-24), Denver Broncos (2024), and Green Bay Packers (2025). May 9, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen (L), general manager Ryan Poles (C) and head coach Ben Johnson (R) observe during the Rookie Minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Keni-H Lovely, cornerback — A 5-foot-10-inch cornerback who played at Western Michigan, Lovely was a third-team All-MAC player in 2022 and 2023. That 2022 campaign was a great one for Lovely, whose four interceptions were the third-most in the conference. And in 2023, his three forced fumbles were the fourth-most in the MAC. The Bears tend to like DBs who can make plays on the ball. Mark Perry, safety — Perry went undrafted in 2024 after playing his college ball at TCU (2022-23) and Colorado (2019-21). He spent time with the Dolphins, Texans, and Patriots last year. Perry began the summer with the Tennessee Titans, but they waived him on August 5.PRESEASON WEEK 1 NOTES: BOOKER, CAIRO, PICKENS, PATCHES, MORE
Benny Sapp III, safety — The son of former NFL player Benny Sapp II was among the tryouts at Halas Hall. Sapp played five games for the Packers in 2023 — including the season finale against the Bears. Jason Taylor II, safety — Taylor was a first-team All-Big 12 performer in 2022, and was a seventh-round pick (234th overall) by the Los Angeles Rams in 2023. The Oklahoma State product played eight games for the Rams in 2023, spent some time on the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad in 2024, and was on the Kansas City Chiefs to start the 2025 season before being waived in May.If you have made it this far in the post, you are probably wondering why the Bears brought a wave of defensive backs in for tryouts at Halas Hall. It is as simple as this: Injuries in the secondary have forced the team’s hand. Chicago was already without Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who has been on the non-football injury list since the start of training camp. But last week, fellow cornerback Kyler Gordon missed practice time with an injury. More injuries popped up during the team’s preseason game with the Dolphins, most notably cornerback Terell Smith and rookie safety Major Burns.
I don’t have to use the depths of my imagination to envision a scenario in which multiple players get added ahead of this week’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. Hopefully, any absence for an injured Bears player won’t be a long one.
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