Advertisement

Bears latest injury report has fans asking about T.J. Edwards' availability

What's going on?
Anthony Miller
Anthony Miller

Bear Goggles On

Seattle Seahawks v Chicago Bears / Cooper Neill/GettyImages

The Chicago Bears did not practice on Thursday, but that didn't stop the team from releasing its injury report, which included estimations. These estimations are not going to make fans comfortable going into Monday's showdown with the Minnesota Vikings.

Let's start with the positive aspect of the injury report: cornerback Jaylon Johnson was listed as limited with his calf/groin injury. All signs are pointing towards Johnson being ready to play against Minnesota.

Rookie running back Kyle Monangai was also listed as limited with a hamstring injury. Two players were listed as full participants in practice: wide receiver Devin Duvernay (hamstring) and defensive lineman Dominique Robinson (oblique).

Now for the bad news, three players were listed as "did not participate" for practice. Running back Roschon Johnson (foot) and defensive back Josh Blackwell (groin) were listed under that category. One other player that is catching everyone's attention: linebacker T.J. Edwards, who is dealing with a hamstring injury.

Edwards not practicing is becoming a concern for Bears fans

Many in the Bears media had mentioned that in the short window they had at Wednesday's practice that Edwards was no where to be found. This would make it two consecutive days that Edwards was a non-participant at practice.

All indications from the Bears' unofficial depth chart have had Edwards in the starting lineup. This has now become a concern for fans entering an important opening game for the Bears. This could be the team just simply mimicking what they had the previous day at practice, as these are just estimations, but two days in a row could end up being a problem.

Edwards is entering his third season with the Bears, having produced four consecutive years of over 100 tackles on the stat line. Last year was considered a down season for Edwards as he racked up 129 tackles, his lowest amount since 2020.

There is pressure on Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds to step up at inside linebacker and start playing like Pro Bowlers. Changes could be on the horizon after the season if improvement isn't seen.

Read more: Bears needed 1 player back at practice before Vikings game (and he came through)

With the depth concerns at linebacker, it's more important than ever for Edwards to make his way on the field. Hopefully, Friday's update will be better news for Bears fans.

Anthony Miller

Anthony Miller

Anthony has been covering football since 2019 starting with his coverage on the XFL and has expanded to the NFL, college football, CFL, and UFL. He is currently the site expert for Inside the Iggles & Bear Goggles On and contributor for The Viking Age. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Network, Athlon Sports, and more.