Chicago Bears defender suffers concerning injury setback

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Chicago Bears defender suffers concerning injury setback

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Jordan Sigler | Last updated Oct 14, 2026 5:17 PM ET

The Chicago Bears defense was lit up in a humbling 31-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 6 and Dennis Allen’s struggling unit could be down yet another player when they play the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

The Bears were already expected to be without defensive end Montez Sweat, who was suspended for two games due to the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy. Sweat intends to appeal the suspension.

Then on Wednesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that linebacker T.J. Edwards suffered a setback for a hamstring issue he dealt with during the preseason.

“Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards injured his hamstring last week, and though it’s not considered severe, it is a reaggravation of a preseason hamstring issue, so the Bears will likely be cautious,” Fowler wrote.

Chicago Bears could be without TJ Edwards

Edwards would be a key loss for the Bears on Sunday. He has 16 tackles, two tackles for loss, three passes defensed, and one forced fumble through the first five games.

The Bears defense will look to rebound against the Falcons. Chicago head coach Ben Johnson wasn’t happy with the way the defense played against the Packers last week.

“It’s a collective deal going on,” Johnson said, via the Bears. “When we win, we win as a team. When we lose, we lose as a team. I’ll be the first one to shoulder the blame for anything that went on offensively, and then defensively, DA (Dennis Allen) is the same way.

“He’ll be the first one to tell you when there’s a bad call. But [there were] also a combination of bad rushes mixed in there and bad coverage mixed in there, so really all three things showed up over the course of the game.”

It remains to be seen if Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa will get the start on Sunday for the Falcons (Penix is trending to start as of Wednesday). If it’s Penix, the Bears will have a much harder challenge ahead of them if Edwards does not play.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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