Chicago Bears sign safety Xavier Woods

The Chicago Bears beefed up their shaky secondary on Friday by signing veteran safety Xavier Woods, who brings 121 NFL starts and nine seasons of experience to a defense that just placed one of its young safeties on injured reserve.

Woods replaces Dallis Flowers, a 2023 undrafted free agent who tore ligaments in his right leg during Thursday’s practice. The Bears moved Flowers to injured reserve Friday, leaving a hole in the back end just as the team prepares for its Week 3 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Chicago’s secondary has already struggled in coverage this season, ranking near the bottom of the league in passing yards allowed per game.

At 31, Woods isn’t the fastest player on the field, but he’s a reliable veteran who can step into a starting role or play in sub-packages. Over his career, he’s logged 15 interceptions, including two last season while splitting time between Tennessee and Dallas. His presence should stabilize a unit that’s been forced to rely on rookies and untested reserves after injuries to key players. The Bears have already lost cornerback Kyler Gordon to a groin injury and safety Eddie Jackson to a calf issue this year, testing their depth.

Chicago’s schedule stiffens after the Chiefs game, with matchups against Philadelphia, Denver, and Green Bay in the next four weeks. Adding Woods gives the Bears a known quantity to plug gaps while younger players recover. If he performs, he could earn a longer-term role or at least buy the team time to develop its draft picks. The move is a classic Band-Aid for now, but the Bears need more than short-term fixes if they want to climb back into playoff contention.