Chicago Bears’ T.J. Edwards Faces Injury Concerns Ahead of Week 10 vs. New York Giants
The Chicago Bears don’t sound too optimistic about starting linebacker T.J. Edwards playing against the New York Giants in Week 10’s home game. After missing the first two practices of the week due to hand and hamstring injuries, Bears head coach Ben Johnson revealed on Friday that the 29-year-old recently underwent surgery to repair a hand fracture and will be wearing a cast if he plays.
Unfortunately, Johnson also disclosed that the hamstring injury, which landed Edwards on the injury report this week, is the same one that kept him out of three of the Bears’ first four games. This injury could threaten his availability on Sunday even more than his hand.
> “He got surgery on that [hand], and the hand’s not going to hold him back,” Johnson told reporters before Friday’s practice. “That’s something I think we’ll be able to cast up and he’ll be OK. But between that and he had a hamstring as well, we’re working through both of those things to get him back.”
On the bright side, Johnson indicated that Edwards likely won’t need to spend time on the injured reserve list due to his broken hand and ongoing hamstring issues. Still, the Bears are continuing to evaluate his status ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Giants.
The Bears (5-3) will face the Giants (2-7) at Soldier Field at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Will the Bears Increase Rookie Ruben Hyppolite II’s Playing Time?
Johnson’s indication that Edwards will avoid injured reserve is a positive sign that the Bears won’t be without him for long. However, could the team look to give more snaps at linebacker to fourth-round rookie Ruben Hyppolite II during Edwards’ recovery?
Early in the season, the Bears appeared eager to get Hyppolite on the field defensively when Edwards was first dealing with his hamstring issue. Hyppolite saw eight defensive snaps in each of the first two games, but his playing time sharply dropped to just two snaps in Week 3. Since then, he has not played on defense and has been a healthy scratch for four straight games.
It is important to note that Edwards returned to the lineup after the Week 6 bye, allowing the Bears to utilize Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, and Noah Sewell as their primary linebacker trio. Even so, when Sewell missed Week 7’s game against the New Orleans Saints, the Bears turned to veteran backup D’Marco Jackson rather than the rookie Hyppolite.
Perhaps the Bears believe Hyppolite needs additional time learning Dennis Allen’s defensive system before seeing significant game-day action. However, keeping him inactive again at home in Week 10 may raise some questions about the team’s development plans for the rookie.
Bears Activate Linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga From Injured Reserve
While the Bears could decide to increase Hyppolite’s playing time against the Giants, they will also bolster linebacker depth with the return of Amen Ogbongbemiga.
The Bears officially activated Ogbongbemiga on Thursday from the injured reserve list, clearing a roster spot on the final day of his 21-day practice window. This move sets the stage for him to make his 2024 season debut against the Giants on Sunday.
Ogbongbemiga, a valuable special teams contributor, signed a two-year contract extension in the offseason that keeps him with the Bears through the 2026 season. He suffered a shoulder injury in training camp that landed him on IR with a return designation during the team’s 53-man roster cutdown at the end of August.
Though primarily a special teams player—appearing in all 17 games and playing 364 special teams snaps this season—Ogbongbemiga has played just 15 total defensive snaps in 2024. With Edwards dealing with injuries, the Bears could consider increasing Ogbongbemiga’s defensive role against the Giants.
—
As the Bears prepare for their Week 10 home game, the status of Edwards remains a key storyline, while the team’s linebacker depth gets a timely boost with Ogbongbemiga’s return. Fans will be watching closely to see how the Bears manage their linebacking corps against the struggling Giants.
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/chicago-bears/tj-edwards-hand-surgery-injury-update/
Be First to Comment