Elijah Hicks, who has thrived as a fill-in starter since joining the Bears in 2022 as a seventh-round pick, will start his second straight game in place of Brisker.

“It’s an opportunity to come in and help our defense stay at the standard that it is,” Hicks said. “Coaches are very clear about what the standard is, and we’ve been playing good ball. Just trying to go in and do my job, make the plays that are there and win.”

Hicks did just that against Jacksonville, recording five tackles and a pass breakup and returning a fumble 19 yards.

“He did a really good job,” defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. “His poise, his confidence, his swag, it’s great to have someone like that who can go into the game of football and be a starter in every way and you don’t lose anything.

“You don’t replace Jaquan Brisker. But to have a person that can come into the game with that level of confidence is just a great asset to have. I’m really excited for him and looking forward to how he’s going to compete this week. “

Third-year pro Josh Blackwell replaced Gordon at nickel back when he left the Jaguars game and is expected to remain in that role Sunday. Blackwell recorded his first NFL interception in that contest, sliding to pick off a Trevor Lawrence pass over the middle.

“It’s always special,” Blackwell said of the chance to fill in on defense. “I love being a part of this team. You hate to see a guy go down, but it’s an opportunity for me to show that I can play with the defense and hopefully keep rolling with the turnovers and the tackles and everything.”

Hicks and Blackwell weren’t the only backup DBs to excel in London. Third-year pro Jaylon Jones started in place of injured cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and led the Bears with 10 tackles.

“I think it’s a testament to how we prepare for the week whether we start or not,” Hicks said. “We’re very regimented guys. All of us are very close, so we work extra together, do extra treatment together. That has a lot to do with it and then the coaches train us like we’re rookies even though we We’re not rookies, so when something like this happens, we’re prepared.”

Stevenson practiced without restriction on Friday after being limited Wednesday and Thursday due to a calf problem and was not given an injury designation.

Cornerback Terell Smith practiced fully for the second straight day and is set to return to action Sunday after missing the last three games with a hip injury. A fifth-round pick in 2023, Smith appeared in 12 games with four starts as a rookie last year, compiling 49 tackles, three tackles for loss, six pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

“He’s done a lot for us in the past,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “He’s started for us. He’s played well for us, and we expect him to be there and rotate a little bit. So it’s going to be exciting for him to be able to play in the secondary. He’s made a lot of impact plays for us previous.”