The Chicago Bears aren’t done adding to an injury-riddled secondary.
It’s not an ideal situation heading into the preseason with defensive backs like Coby Bryant, Terell Smith, Cam Lewis, and Kyler Gordon recovering from injuries, but that doesn’t mean the Bears’ front office is sitting back and waiting for them to get healthy, either.
According to BearsPR, Chicago has signed former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Beanie Bishop and waived long snapper Luke Elkin.
Adding Bishop is the fourth DB the Bears have added in three days, and the decision to cut ties with Elkin means that Beau Gardner is currently the only long snapper on the team, meaning that he’s presumably won the starting gig.
Bears Sign Former Steelers Defensive Back Beanie Bishop
Beanie Bishop, 26, appeared in all 17 games for the Steelers back in 2024, racking up 45 total tackles, 0.5 sacks, seven pass deflections, and four interceptions. However, he did not play in 2025 and was on the New Orleans Saints for a brief stint but never appeared in a game.
He’s still just 26 years old, with NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein writing this regarding Bishop back in 2024:
“When in phase, Bishop’s quick feet and burst to close allow him to attack passing lanes and disrupt the catch. He plays with adequate aggression against the run and is best suited playing from the slot with his eyes forward from short-zone and off-man coverages.”
While he’s not expected to be a starter, adding depth in the secondary is crucial right now considering all the injuries that have been piling up in the last week.
The confusing part about this signing is Bishop is suspended for the first three games of the season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
Dennis Allen, Ben Johnson Comments on Defensive Back Situation
GettyDefensive coordinator Dennis Allen of the Chicago Bears looks on against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Some good news is DB Cam Lewis, who’s been filling in for Gordon at nickel and Bryant at safety, won’t be sidelined for a while, according to defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, after being carted off the field on August 8th.
However, in terms of the general situation in the secondary, Allen had a strong response.
“You know what I want to see?” Allen said. “I want to see 11 frickin’ dudes on the field competing their ass off. And if we all do that, then I feel pretty confident that we’ll get them to the right spot.”
Head coach Ben Johnson also made some comments on Allen and the Bears’ secondary, saying, “DA is still installing his defense schemes right now. We’re still installing offense schemes. There’s a lot of learning going on. And as we go through camp, we’ll come to a consensus on the players we can count on most, who the starters will be, what role they’re going to play and whether we’ll adjust things schematically to have the most success on the field. That’s what we do. We’re not in panic mode by any stretch with some guys going down. That’s what happens in this league. It’s going to happen to every team throughout camp and throughout the season. We’re no different than that.”
Just as Johnson put it, there shouldn’t be any panic right now. The start of the regular season is still a month away, and some defensive backs should be ready to go by the start of the season.
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