The Chicago Bears are one of the hottest teams in the league and are 7-3 on the season. The Pittsburgh Steelers are next on the slate, but the Bears may have serious holes at linebacker to contend with in that game, along with the challenges Pittsburgh will provide.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported on Wednesday that linebackers T.J. Edwards (hand/hamstring), Tremaine Edmunds (groin) & Noah Sewell (elbow) didn't take part in Wednesday's practice.
Three Bears Linebackers Miss Practice on Wednesday
Thursday and Friday's practices will give a better picture of who will play on Sunday, but this isn't a positive development. Edwards has missed the past two games after dealing with a hamstring injury and undergoing hand surgery. He'll wear a cast upon return, but there's still no timetable on when that'll be.
Edmunds has suited up in every game this season, including 100% of the snaps in the win over the Vikings. In that outing, he was second on the team in total tackles (9), adding to his team-best 89 total stops. Considering that he finished the game out, Wednesday could have just been a rest day for him.
Sewell also left for a couple of plays against the Vikings but still managed to play in 53 total snaps (96%). He was able to have a game-high 10 total tackles but finished with a 29.2 overall grade on PFF, which was the second-worst on the team.
The Bears use Sewell more when Edwards is sidelined, so the fact that their top three linebackers aren't practicing to start the week isn't ideal. The Bears' defense has already been without several starters, like Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and Tyrique Stevenson, at different points in the season.
So far, they've been able to manage, but this may be different if all three players can't give it a go. The Bears would have to lean on Amen Ogbongbemiga, Ruben Hyppolite II, and D'Marco Jackson, but that would be the worst-case scenario.
As the week progresses, things will get clearer, and the Bears hope to have their starters in the second level of the defense ready to go. They will be especially important in a game where longtime rival Aaron Rodgers is under center on the other side. The Steelers' QB is also dealing with a wrist injury, so his status for the game is up in the air, but everyone in Chicago wants to take them down.
The hope is that they'll take the field but everything is up in the air right now.