Jaylon Johnson is back.
The Bears cornerback — and perhaps their second-best defensive player, behind Roquan Smith — did not have an injury designation in Wednesday’s practice, clearing the way for him to start Thursday night against the Commanders.
The Bears held walk-throughs on Monday and Tuesday; they said he would have practiced in full had they held practices on those days.
Johnson has missed the past three games since hurting his quad in practice Sept. 22. His return will give a beleaguered Bears defensive backfield a boost after Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins went 32-for-41 for 296 yards and a 94.