The Chicago Bears achieved a historic milestone on Saturday, erasing an 18-point halftime deficit to defeat the Green Bay Packers 31-27 in the NFC Wild Card round. However, the victory at Soldier Field came at a devastating price.
Following the game, Bears head coach Ben Johnson confirmed that defensive leader T.J. Edwards suffered a fractured fibula during the first half. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the injury will sideline Edwards for the remainder of the 2026 NFL Playoffs.
While the city of Chicago celebrated the largest postseason comeback in franchise history, the mood within the locker room was somber. Johnson stood at the podium to deliver the grim news regarding the team's defensive signal-caller.
"TJ [Edwards] looks like he has a fibula fracture, uh, which will—which will take him out for the rest of the season here,” Johnson said.
Injury update:
— Depressed Bears Fan (@DepBearsFan) January 11, 2026
- TJ Edwards has a fibula fracture
- Ozzy Trapilo hurt his patellar tendon pic.twitter.com/cM3ENAejPF
The injury occurred at the 11:09 mark of the second quarter. With the Packers leading 7-3 and driving deep into Chicago territory, Edwards attempted to cover a crossing route involving Packers wide receiver Christian Watson.
As Edwards pivoted on the turf, his left foot became entangled with Watson’s leg. His ankle rolled at an unnatural angle, causing an immediate collapse. The scene silenced the Chicago crowd as the medical staff rushed onto the field. Edwards was fitted with a vacuum splint air cast to stabilize the leg before being carted off to the X-ray room.
The loss cannot be overstated for a Bears unit that relies heavily on Edwards, the Green Dot wearer responsible for relaying calls from Johnson and defensive coordinator Eric Washington. Edwards finished the 2025 regular season with 67 tackles (33 solo, 34 assists) and a crucial 34-yard pick-six against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17.
With linebacker Noah Sewell already on Injured Reserve with an Achilles injury, Chicago was forced to rely on reserves D'Marco Jackson and Amen Ogbongbemiga.
Ben Johnson updates on left tackle Ozzy Trapilo
Despite the defensive setbacks, QB Caleb Williams orchestrated a stunning turnaround. Trailing 21-3 at halftime and 21-6 entering the fourth quarter, Williams led a 25-point explosion in the final frame to send the Packers home with a 9-8-1 final record.
However, Edwards wasn't the only significant loss on Saturday. Coach Johnson also confirmed that starting left tackle Ozzy Trapilo suffered a significant patellar injury late in the fourth quarter.
“And then Ozzy [Trapilo] sounds like he has a patella tendon, which will likely do the same thing for him,” Johnson added. “So, we'll see what those guys are like tomorrow just to be sure, but it doesn't look good for either one of those guys."
The Bears now head into the next round as the No. 2 seed, but they do so with massive voids at the literal and figurative centers of their roster.
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