Ben Johnson Gives Worrying Injury Update on Bears Second Year Defensive End

Jun 9, 2026; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson walks on the field during Chicago Bears Minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears are in the midst of their second day of mandatory veteran minicamp. While injuries keeping players off the practice field at this stage of the offseason are not usually cause for concern, there are a few exceptions. One of them is second-year defensive end Shemar Turner. On Wednesday, head coach Ben Johnson provided a concerning update on Turner's health.

Ben Johnson Provides Concerning Update on Shemar Turner's Injury

According to Zack Pearson of the Bears Report, Johnsaid said, "We will see with Shemar. This Summer will be a big part for him."

While Johnson did not provide many specifics, his comments suggest Turner still has important hurdles to clear during his recovery process. This is not the type of update Bears fans were hoping to hear, especially considering how much the team is relying on his development heading into his second NFL season.

The 23-year-old entered the NFL with injury concerns surrounding his legs. In 2024, Turner suffered a stress fracture that required surgery. Then, during the first day of training camp last year, he suffered an ankle injury that forced him to miss the majority of camp.

Suffering an injury during your first training camp is never good. It slowed his development and also prevented him from gaining valuable practice reps during a crucial stage of his young career.

He is currently recovering from a torn ACL, and the Bears need him on the practice field by the start of training camp. Turner's absence is an even bigger problem since Chicago largely opted to rely on its existing defensive line group heading into the 2026 season.

The concern becomes even more notable when compared to fellow defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo. Odeyingbo, who tore his Achilles tendon last season, was spotted working out on Tuesday.

Many people expected Odeyingbo to miss the entire offseason program and most of the regular season. While no one has come out and said exactly where Odeyingbo is in his recovery, being on the field already is huge. That's what makes Johnson's update on Turner even more concerning.

Not only does it shine a bigger light on what a mistake this draft pick could be, but it also brings into question his overall health. The Bears coaching staff believes they saw the best in Turner when they moved him to edge before the injury.

However, that doesn't matter if he is unable to see the practice field this offseason and continue his development.