The new NFL season kicked off on Thursday, and fans of every franchise are closely watching their teams as the campaign begins. On Monday, the Chicago Bears will face the Minnesota Vikings in what marks their first game of the season, but it appears there is bad news for Caleb Williams and his teammates.
The Bears are likely to start the 2025 NFL season against the Vikings without their veteran middle linebacker. T.J. Edwards will begin the year on the sidelines and is expected to miss the first Monday Night Football contest due to a hamstring injury.
Edwards has been nursing the hamstring issue for some time and is officially listed as doubtful for the Monday night matchup, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The 29-year-old has not practiced in over a week, making his participation in Week 1 highly unlikely.
Edwards enters his seventh NFL season and third with the Bears. He did not miss a single game during his first two seasons in Chicago and has totaled 284 tackles since the start of the 2023 campaign, proving his reliability as a defensive cornerstone.
What will the Bears do without Edwards?
Although Edwards was never named a team captain, he remains a clear leader on the defensive side of the ball. During the preseason, the Bears hired former New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator, who immediately highlighted Edwards as one of his favorite players on the roster.
Without Edwards in the lineup, the Bears will likely turn to third-year linebacker Noah Sewell. With Amen Ogbongbemiga starting the year on injured reserve, Sewell is just one of two backup linebackers available. Third-year D’Marco Jackson, who previously played under Allen in New Orleans, joins him as the team’s other reserve option.
Which other players could miss the opener?
Edwards is not the only defensive player dealing with lingering injuries. Chicago may also have to face the Vikings without star cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who is managing calf and groin issues. Additionally, second-year edge rusher Austin Booker was placed on injured reserve after sustaining a knee injury in the preseason, ruling him out for at least the first four games of the season.