Charles Tillman Injury Puts Spotlight on Kyle Fuller to Save Bears Secondary

A season ago, the loss of cornerback Charles Tillman to a torn right triceps played a major role in the Chicago Bears' historic slide on defense. 

With first-round rookie Kyle Fuller emerging as a potential star, another season-ending injury to Tillman might not represent the same kind of catastrophic subtraction in 2014.

According to ESPN's Adam Caplan, the Bears are preparing to place Tillman on injured reserve after he suffered another triceps injury Sunday night during Chicago's 28-20 come-from-behind win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Tillman suffered the injury on a fairly routine play near the boundary in the second half. Shortly after, NBC's cameras showed a visibly distraught Tillman talking with team trainers on the sidelines. The 33-year-old cornerback tore his right triceps during a November contest against the Detroit Lions last season, but he completed rehab and re-signed with the Bears on a one-year deal in March. 

Fuller, the No. 14 pick in the 2014 draft, stepped in for Tillman Sunday as the base cornerback opposite Tim Jennings and turned the game on its head. 

On San Francisco's first play of the fourth quarter, Fuller closed on a short throw to Michael Crabtree and wrestled the football away for an interception. His ensuing return set up Chicago on the 49ers' 3-yard line, and quarterback Jay Cutler found Martellus Bennett one play later to give the Bears their first lead of the game, 21-20. 

Fuller made another impressive play on San Francisco's next series. On 3rd-and-12, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick escaped the pocket to his left and tried to hit tight end Derek Carrier deep down the left sideline. However, Fuller drifted off his man-to-man coverage and undercut the throw, making an outstretched interception to prevent a big play. 

Four plays later, the Bears were back in the end zone to extend the lead to eight points. 

Fuller also made an impressive open-field tackle of Kaepernick on San Francisco's next possession to force a fourth down. 

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Fuller was targeted five times, allowing three catches for 42 yards and the two interceptions. Of his six credited tackles, three were deemed "stops," which PFF considers a tackle constituting an offensive failure. He was called for one penalty, a holding call on third down that gave the 49ers an automatic first down.

Fuller certainly didn't look like a wide-eyed rookie playing his second-ever regular-season game.

“We knew it since Day 1,” Cutler said, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. “Day 1, he came out there and he was manning up 'B' (Marshall) and Alshon (Jeffery). You could tell he could play."

A scout also told Biggs that the Bears "got the better cornerback" when comparing Fuller to Justin Gilbert, who the Cleveland Browns drafted at No. 8 overall. Fuller went to the Bears six picks later.

“The Gilbert kid is more athletic but the Bears got a better football player," the scout said. "This Fuller kid is a football player and he’ll show it.”

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Before exiting, Tillman had allowed four catches on five targets for 42 yards. 

So much goes into playing good defense from week to week, but losing Tillman was one of several death blows to the Bears defense last season. 

In the seven games after Tillman's injury, the Bears allowed 33 points, 414.3 total yards and 202 rushing yards per game. Chicago went 3-4 in those games and missed the postseason. 

Few have been better at creating turnovers than Tillman, who has 36 interceptions, 42 forced fumbles and 11 fumble recoveries over a 12-year NFL career. Since 2003, his first season in Chicago, Tillman ranks fifth in the NFL in interceptions and second in fumbles forced and interceptions returned for a touchdown.

The Bears forced 20 turnovers with Tillman in the lineup last season and only eight without him. 

	Total	NFL Rank since 2003
Interceptions	36	5th (tied)
Interception Return Yards	675	5th (tied)
Passes Defensed	134	5th
Interceptions Returned for a TD	8	2nd (tied)
Forced Fumbles	42	2nd
Fumble Recoveries	11	20th (tied)

The bigger concern for the Bears might be cornerback depth. With Tillman healthy, Chicago could play him and Fuller on the outside and Jennings inside against the slot in the nickel package. The Bears may now have to play more base defense or risk giving Sherrick McManis or Brock Vereen important snaps in the slot. 

Football is a cruel sport, and a player of Tillman's caliber doesn't deserve to have his career potentially ended in this fashion. But the Bears were proactive in defending themselves against this very possibility in May's draft. 

Getting Fuller then looked like a strong move for the future. Now, it's a saving grace for the present. 

Zach Kruse covers the NFC North for Bleacher Report. 

Follow @zachkruse2