The Chicago Bears will be very shorthanded on the defensive side of the football during Sunday's matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Injuries have been a key storyline entering Week 12 for both sides as Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers won't be close to 100% healthy, if he is even able to play.
With all three of Chicago's starting linebackers set to miss Sunday's game, the Bears' depth is going to be tested in a big way. While the likes of Ruben Hyppolite II, D'Marco Jackson, and Amen Ogbongbemiga are in line to be the starters, Chicago will need for depth pieces behind that trio to play their part if the Bears want to continue their hot streak and stay atop the NFC North.
This could very well mean that a player who just joined the roster this week could be elevated into a position where he's seeing live action in Week 12.
Jalen Reeves-Maybin Could Play Key Role for Bears in Week 12
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, one of the options on the table for the Bears is elevating Reeves-Maybin or fellow practice squad linebacker Carl Jones Jr. to the active roster. Should Reeves-Maybin be the choice, it would be his first game action since the Detroit Lions' surprising loss to the Washington Commanders in the 2024 NFC playoffs.
While Jones Jr. has made several appearances for Chicago this season, the 24-year-old has primarily been a special teams contributor rather than a piece of the puzzle for the Bears' defense. While Jones Jr. is certainly the younger option between the two, Reeves-Maybin is now on the wrong side of 30 years old; it could be experience that plays a key role in a matchup against a quarterback like Rodgers and a coach like Mike Tomlin.
Even though Reeves-Maybin is a new face in Chicago, he knows the NFC North very well, having spent seven of his eight seasons as a professional with the Lions. Given his familiarity with Rodgers from his time with the Green Bay Packers, the former Tennessee Volunteers standout is likely better suited than Jones Jr. to face that caliber of veteran signal caller.
We'll just have to wait and see what Ben Johnson and the rest of his defensive coaching staff choose to do ahead of Sunday's game. One thing is for certain: this will be a banged-up defense that will go taking the field against a dangerous Steelers team, meaning that Caleb Williams and the offense have to be firing on all cylinders to keep that defensive unit rested and up against as little pressure as possible.