As the Chicago Bears inch closer to improved health and more options in the secondary, it’s worth keeping a close eye on who will be available at the second level of the defense.

The Bears’ top three linebackers — Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards and Noah Sewell — were held out of practice Thursday for a second consecutive day, and the possibility Edmunds and Edwards will miss Sunday’s meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers at Soldier Field appears to be moving toward a likelihood. Sewell’s uncertain status adds to the dilemma.

Team officials haven’t speculated about the possible return of cornerback Jaylon Johnson (groin) or nickel back Kyler Gordon (calf) in time for Sunday’s game, but neither can be ruled out. That would provide the defense more options on the third level as things are getting thin at linebacker.

The multitude of linebacker injuries could push the Bears into a scenario in which D’Marco Jackson and rookie Ruben Hyppolite II start against the Steelers. That would create an entirely new set of challenges for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who has been juggling the lineup every week.

It hasn’t been pretty on defense for the Bears (7-3), but they lead the NFL with 22 takeaways and are No. 2 on third down (33.7%), key metrics that have helped fuel the team’s rise to the top of the NFC North.

Edmunds played all 55 snaps Sunday in a 19-17 victory in Minnesota before appearing on Wednesday’s injury report with a groin injury. One source said there’s concern it’s a multiweek injury, but given how durable Edmunds has been in his career — he became the youngest player in NFL history to reach 100 career games last season at 26 — a quick return also wouldn’t be surprising.

Missing Edmunds for even one game would be a significant loss as he has been enjoying the finest of his three seasons in a Bears uniform. He leads the team with 89 tackles — 36 more than the next-closest defender, free safety Kevin Byard III — and has four interceptions and nine pass breakups. A move from the middle to the weak side has elevated Edmunds’ production and impact.

“His skill set fits that position in terms of the things that we ask that position to do: the size, the length, the athletic ability,” Allen said Thursday. “When you’re in the middle, there’s a lot of communication things that have to occur, and (on the weak side) you’re able to take a little bit of that off his plate. He’s a little bit more free to just go play.”

Edwards has been sidelined since suffering a broken hand in the Nov. 2 victory in Cincinnati. He underwent surgery and also is listed on the injury report as having a hamstring issue. He’s likely nearing a return because the team chose not to place him on injured reserve, but it’s uncertain if he could step on the field for the first time in 19 days at practice Friday and then be ready to go against the Steelers.

It has been a frustrating season for Edwards, who almost never missed time before but has played in only five games this season.

Sewell, who has been pressed into expanded duty with all the time Edwards has missed, was on the field for 53 of the 55 snaps in Minnesota. A concussion kept him out of the Week 7 win over the New Orleans Saints, and now he’s dealing with an elbow injury. One reason he has been able to take a step forward this season is he has been healthier than he was in his first two years.

Between Edwards’ and Sewell’s issues, the Bears’ top three linebackers have been available for only one entire game: the Week 8 loss in Baltimore. All three were in the mix for the majority of the Bengals game and the first half of the Week 2 loss in Detroit. Other than that, it has been a lot of mixing and matching for Allen and his staff.

The next man up after Sewell has been Jackson, whom the Bears claimed off waivers from the Saints before the season. Jackson has played 32 snaps on defense through the first 10 games after playing very sparingly on defense for the Saints under Allen.

Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson watches the video board in the final seconds of a 52-21 loss to the Lions on Sept. 14, 2025, at Ford Field in Detroit. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

“I was pretty comfortable when I got here,” Jackson said. “It wasn’t too complex compared to what we were doing (in New Orleans). It was easy for me to pick up right away. I feel comfortable and confident in the guys around me and my ability to go out there and do my job.”

Hyppolite, a fourth-round pick who was inactive for a four-game stretch, has played on special teams the last two weeks. He has played 18 snaps on defense this season.

“I’m excited for the opportunity if I’m called on,” he said. “I’m comfortable out there and it’s been good. You question yourself a little bit (when you’re inactive) because you’re not sure why or how. It’s all about staying grounded and staying on your processes like I’ve been.”

The Bears added some depth Tuesday by signing veteran linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin to the practice squad. He played some defense in Detroit but was viewed mostly as a backup and core special teams performer.

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One recent adjustment Allen has made with Edwards out is to play almost exclusively in sub packages (primarily nickel) the last two weeks. He has featured nickel back C.J. Gardner-Johnson and used only two linebackers against the Vikings and New York Giants. Even when the Vikings went to 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends and two wide receivers) last week, the Bears remained in nickel.

The Steelers are 29th in the NFL in rushing, averaging 88.2 yards per game, but give them an opening for running back Jaylen Warren (4.4 yards per carry) and they just might take it.

Pittsburgh also has a diverse group of tight ends — including 6-foot-7 Darnell Washington, who’s listed at 264 pounds but told the “St. Brown Podcast” this week he actually weighs 311 — and ranks eighth in the league with 185 snaps from 12 personnel. The Steelers are second with 93 plays from 13 personnel (one running back, three tight ends, one wide receiver), so they can challenge inexperienced linebackers or even try to force the Bears out of nickel.

When Allen has been asked about injuries, he moves on quickly, pointing out that no one is going to stop and feel sorry for the Bears. On the defensive line, Austin Booker and Grady Jarrett missed time before Dayo Odeyingbo was lost for the season. The secondary situation has been well-documented and now the Bears look like they will be short-handed at linebacker, at least for a week.

“That’s the nature of the game that we play,” Allen said last week. “You have to constantly be able to evolve and change. You get into trouble when you just say, ‘This is who we are, this is what we do and we’re just going to go do that.’

“That may not be what the guys that we have out there playing … suits them best. Each and every week, each and every game plan, you’re looking at, OK, what do our guys do well? Then, how do we put them in those positions based on what we’re seeing?”

Allen has been put to the test. The latest answers will come Sunday.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/20/chicago-bears-linebackers-tremaine-edmunds-injuries/