Bears will be without all 3 starting linebackers against the Steelers on Sunday
The Bears won't have any of their starting linebackers on the field on Sunday when they host the Steelers, who have yet to reveal if quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be under center.
Linebackers Tremaine Edmunds, TJ Edwards, and Noah Sewell all have been ruled out for Sunday's game at Soldier Field after missing practice all week with injuries. Edmunds injured his groin and Sewell injured his elbow in last Sunday's game against the Vikings, while Edwards continues to recover from a hamstring injury and surgery on his hand.
Reserve linebackers Ruben Hyppolite II, D'Marco Jackson, and Amen Ogbongbemiga are ready to be the next men up on Sunday.
It's an inexperienced group, with a combined two NFL starts, both owned by Ogbongbemiga in his rookie season in 2021. All three have played primarily on special teams this season. In Ogbongbemiga's case, he hasn't played any snaps on defense this year.
Despite his lack of experience, Hyppolite said he's ready to go.
"Play my game, communicate, do what I've been doing since training camp. So, you know, I have a great relationship with all the guys on defense, so it's all good," Hyppolite said.
Replacing the production of the Bears' starters won't be easy, but Hyppolite will lean on what he's learned from Edmunds, the team's leading tackler.
"Tremaine's a great player. We're going to miss him, but we've got to go hold it down for him," he said. "They offer help, but at the end of the day, it's on me. I'm going to be the one out there playing. Those guys are great, it's disappointing and all that, but at the end of the day, no one's going to help me prepare better than me. So I just trust my training, and trust my ability, and I'm ready go out there and go play."
The Bears also recently signed former Lions linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin to the practice squad, though like the others, he has mostly played on special teams in his career, and is not yet on the active roster.
The Bears might get some reinforcements in the secondary, however, as cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are listed as questionable as both move closer to a return from injured reserve.
Johnson was a full participant in practice for the second day in a row on Friday, after the Bears opened up his 21-day practice window last week following groin surgery. It's a good sign the Bears' top cornerback is getting closer to being activated off of injured reserve.
Gordon had his first full practice since the team opened his 21-day practice window on Wednesday as he recovers from a calf injury.
Meantime, the Bears also will be without backup running backs Roschon Johnson (thumb) and Travis Homer (hamstring/knee) on Sunday.
For the Steelers, quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken wrist in last Sunday's game against the Bengals, and was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. The Steelers have not yet released their Friday injury report, so it's unclear if he will play on Sunday, or if Pittsburgh will go with backup Mason Rudolph.