Bears will be without key linebacker vs. Vikings

A win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11 would have the Chicago Bears looking like a much more serious playoff contender. However, the Bears will be going into battle without one of their best linebackers.

Chicago has ruled out TJ Edwards, via Adam Schefter of ESPN. He recently underwent hand surgery and is dealing with a hamstring injury, making his return unknown.

The Bears did get plenty of positive injury news on Friday. Chicago opened up cornerback Jaylon Johnson’s 21-day practice window. Furthermore, safety Jaquan Brisker returned to practice after missing the first two sessions. Plenty of the team’s key players have been removed from the injury report entirely.

But missing Edwards is going to sting. To the Bears’ credit, he was out against the New York Giants and they still pulled off a win. But the linebacker’s absence will be a significant problem for Chicago.

Injuries have taken a large bite out of Edwards’ campaign, as he has only appeared in five games. In that time, he has racked up 31 tackles and three passes defended. The Bears have big plans for Edwards after signing him to a $20-million contract extension. However, they need him on the field to make any kind of impact.

In his absence, expect Noah Sewell and potentially rookie Ruben Hyppolite II to get some extra run. They’ll have some big shoes to fill, but head coach Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will be expecting execution.

The Week 11 matchup will be extremely telling for both sides. With the Vikings winning the first matchup, they’d gain major bragging rights over the Bears with a season sweep.