Willie Young Out for Season: Big Blow to Chicago Bears Defense
The Chicago Bears defense suffered another big loss on Saturday as it was announced that outside linebacker Willie Young will go on injured reserve.
The Chicago Bears just can’t catch a break, especially when it comes to the health of their players. It was announced on Saturday that outside linebacker Willie Young will go on injured reserve with a torn triceps. Young joins inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman and safeties Quentin Demps and Deiondre Hall as defenders on IR to go along with top two receivers Kevin White and Cam Meredith.
The Bears defense was already going to be thin this week. Add ILB Nick Kwiatkowski, who’s suffering from a pectoral injury and a suspended Danny Trevathan to defenders likely to miss Monday night’s game and you’ve got a pretty depleted Bears defense going up against their division rival.
Young’s injury puts added pressure on the Bears outside linebackers, who will rely even more heavily on a returning Pernell McPhee, who missed all of camp coming off offseason surgery of his own. McPhee knows it’s a big blow to the D:
"“It’s definitely going to impact the rotation,” McPhee said. “That’s another guy who knows how to get after the quarterback. This is where the depth in our room is really going to show and how much we trust in each other. I think we have the guys who can make up for it. But you really can’t make up for Willie.”"
Former first round pick Leonard Floyd, who’s had an awfully quiet year rushing the passer, will also have to step up alongside veteran Sam Acho. It’s possible they could promote practice squad member Isaiah Irving or the recently signed Howard Jones to help bolster the pass rusher.
Chicago Bears
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will have to scheme up some interesting blitzes to pressure whoever starts for the Vikings, whether it’s Sam Bradford or Case Keenum.
Expectations aren’t that high for a Bears team that’s 1-3 to start the season, but losing more and more players to IR – and Young is expected to be number nine on that list – isn’t going to help.
The focus Monday night will be on the Bears offense as top draft choice Mitch Trubisky makes his professional debut, but the defense will be under the gun to keep it close is a key to help the Bears pull off the upset on Monday night.
Young will be missed and we can only hope for a speedy recovery so the big fella can get back to fishing for opposing quarterbacks as soon as possible.