Sunday night started in extremely exciting fashion for Chicago Bears fans as Caleb Williams, making his preseason debut, sliced and diced the Buffalo Bills defense on a 93-yard touchdown drive. As halftime approached, it was 28-0 Bears. It felt like the true beginning of the Ben Johnson era. And then it all soured.
With less than two minutes remaining in the half, Bears CB Terell Smith appeared to suffer a non-contact leg injury. He was carted off the field, towel over his face, in clear pain. His teammates gathered around the cart to offer support before Smith was taken to the locker room.
Prayers up for Bears DB Terell Smith. His teammates came to show him love before he was carted off the field. pic.twitter.com/fToCRPFZYG
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) August 18, 2025
Smith, 26, is a former fifth-round pick entering his third season with the Bears. He appeared in 14 games (two starts) in 2024, notching 19 tackles and one interception, with four passes defended. While we do not know the full extent of his injury as of this writing, it looked serious in the moment. This is a heartbreaking development for a fan favorite who was making waves in training camp.
Terell Smith's tremendous preseason comes to screeching halt with injury
This is a brutal blow for the Bears and especially for Smith, who generated a ton of positive buzz in training camp. While Jaylon Johnson was a lock to start, Smith was a real candidate to line up opposite Johnson with the first team, competing against former second-round pick Tyrique Stevenson and free agent signee Nahshon Wright in practice.
Smith's PFF grade (78.5) far exceeded that of Stevenson (58.9) last season. While he's not the same explosive athlete as Stevenson, who is also a more highly-touted prospect, Smith does have the advantage of stability. He is incredibly poised and persistent with his effort. He doesn't suffer breakdowns or let emotion govern his actions to the extent that Stevenson has to date. He isn't necessarily the "upside" pick, but Smith was probably the most dependable starting option for Chicago.
So this sucks. It sucks because of the injury, and it sucks because this was a chance for Smith to finally break through on a competitive defense. Chicago is looking to take the next step this season and Smith would (or would have) helped.
Tyrique Stevenson needs to step up with Terell Smith hurt
Stevenson enters his third NFL season with a complicated reputation. He's a major talent, but he has struggled to actualize that talent on the football field. Chicago's defense under Matt Eberflus was often a strength, but Stevenson struggled to win over coaches due to lapses in judgement and focus.
Thankfully for Bears fans, the 25-year-old appears committed to changing that narrative in 2025.
“Keep my same aggression and my mentality when I’m in the game," Stevenson said when outlining his mindset for the new season (h/t Marquee Sports Network). "(What do I want to) put behind me? Pretty much anything that shows negative on my resume. That’s technique, game situations, that comes with any little thing. Not hustling, not showing effort that I need to on certain plays — anything like that I want to put behind me.”
With Smith hurt, Stevenson's growth becomes paramount to Chicago's DB room this season. He needs to step up, assuming Smith is about to miss an extended period of time.