The Chicago Bears have the Minnesota Vikings coming into town for an NFC North tilt to start the season.
This season opener is highly anticipated, but it looks like the Bears will be without starting linebacker T.J. Edwards. On Saturday, head coach Ben Johnson revealed that Edwards is doubtful for Week 1 due to a hamstring injury. With him slated to be on the sideline, rookie LB Ruben Hyppolite will be thrust into action in his NFL debut.
Bears Rookie LB Ruben Hyppolite Will Play Big Role in Week 1
Edwards has been sidelined for over a week due to his hamstring injury, so the writing was on the wall that Hyppolite would step in as the Bears' starter.
Chicago nabbed Hyppolite in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft. Throughout the summer, he has been the primary backup to Edwards, making it obvious he was the one who would be asked to step in. He appeared in all three preseason games, logging 94 total snaps. In those outings, he secured 16 total tackles, recording a 52.9 overall grade per PFF.
While he has room to grow, the Bears believe he can step in for Edwards. That won't be an easy task, as Edwards has been a glue guy since joining the Bears in 2023. He played in all 34 games between 2023 to 2024. In those contests, Edwards has secured 284 total tackles, 20 TFLs, and 6.5 sacks.
During the 2023 season, Edwards posted a 75.4 coverage grade on PFF only to see it plummet to 56.9 in 2024. This is where the Bears will likely miss the 29-year-old. The Vikings will use T.J. Hockenson in the middle of the field and could attack Hyppolite in the process. And pass coverage is an area where the rookie struggled this summer.
In the preseason, Hyppolite had a 54.7 coverage grade per PFF, finishing with a sub-50 grade in two of the outings. There will always be learning curves for young guys on the roster, and the Bears should expect some of those moments on Monday night.
It's never easy to start in Week 1 as a rookie, but those are the cards that are being dealt to Hyppolite. If he stands out on that side of the ball, he could immediately carve out a bigger role for himself in the middle of the Bears' defense.