Bears safety Eddie Jackson will miss his third straight game Thursday night with a foot injury, while cornerback Jaylon Johnson will miss his second consecutive start with a hamstring problem.
The Bears might also be without safety Jaquan Brisker, who was limited in Wednesday’s practice and was called questionable to play because of a hamstring injury.
That, combined with Kyler Gordon’s injured reserve stint, leaves the Bears thin in the defensive backfield for the second week in a row. The Commanders, their opponent Thursday night, average 201.3 passing yards per game, which ranks No. 19 in the NFL.
Elijah Hicks is expected to once again start in Jackson’s place, with rookies Tyrique Stevenson and Terrell Smith starting at outside cornerback. Greg Stroman will play slot cornerback with Josh Blackwell on injured reserve.
Veteran safety Duron Harmon, whom the Bears signed Tuesday, could be activated to help the team’s depth.
The Bears called offensive lineman Teven Jenkins questionable. For him to play, they’d still have to activate him off injured reserve later Wednesday or early Thursday.
The Commanders’ Jahan Dotson will play after being fighting through an ankle injury this year. Fellow receiver Curtis Samuel will be active, too, five days after catching seven passes for 51 yards and running for a one-yard touchdown. He had a quad injury. Running back Chris Rodriquez (illness) is questionable.
