Vikings’ MNF Foe Working Through a Gut Punch
Football is a matchup sport. If an opponent finds a weak spot, then there’s going to be a concerted effort to gain the upper hand by attacking that vulnerability repeatedly.
The Vikings’ MNF foe may have a weak spot as a result of the injury to linebacker T.J. Edwards. On both of Thursday and Friday, the starting linebacker was slotted into the injury report under the “Did Not Participate” descriptor. Consequently, the best guess is that Edwards will miss the game, especially since hamstring injuries are notoriously tricky (just ask Justin Jefferson). In fact, Courtney Cronin has confirmed that Edwards is doubtful.
The Vikings’ MNF Foe May Be Without Key LB
Minnesota has made every effort to support J.J. McCarthy. Doing so has involved reinventing the interior o-line, maintaining the strong tight end twosome, and beefing up the running game.
Indeed, the expectation is that Minnesota’s kid QB is going to have an easier time since the new guards and center are going to prove capable of mauling opposing defenders. So, too, should T.J. Hockenson alongside Josh Oliver get the edge more often than not, functioning as large, safe targets for the sophomore to target. And then there’s the enhanced running game, an area that may finally be a strength for Kevin O’Connell.
There’s no sense of exaggerating in saying that T.J. Edwards would have helped with all of that, at least partially counteracting the iOL, TE, and RB strength for the Vikings.
The linebacker stands at 6’0″ and 228 pounds, meaning he’s on the smaller side. He hasn’t struggled to produce, though. His debut season as a Bear arrived in 2023; Edwards finished off the season having played in all seventeen games while clearing 1,000 defensive snaps. He rewarded his team with some eye-popping numbers: 155 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 8 QB hits, 8 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 7 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble.
The veteran yet again played every game in 2024 while clearing 1,000 snaps on defense. He once again put together impressive numbers. Edwards finished off his season with 129 tackles, 4 sacks, 6 QB hits, 12 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 3 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble.
T.J. Edwards is, in short, a great defender, someone who gets deployed in a variety of ways. Losing him is a gut punch for Chicago.
Obviously, no one should be thrilled that Minnesota is gaining an edge due to an injury. The hope all around should be that all sides are operating at full health. From within that starting point, fans can then proceed to passionately support his/her own side.
But while there’s an obvious ideal — no players needing to get fixed up in the infirmary — the Vikings’ MNF strategy is nevertheless going to adjust if Edwards can’t go.
A guard climbing to seal off a linebacker, a tight end looking to find open room in zone, and a running back trying to turn a modest run into an explosive run all becomes easier without there being hindrance from T.J. Edwards.
Meanwhile, Minnesota is moving through its own injury situations. Christian Darrisaw appears to be doing well, but there’s yet some mystery surrounding the stud left tackle. One then wonders about Harrison Smith, a veteran who sees the game at an unparalleled level for the Vikings.
Originally, T.J. Edwards was putting in work with the Eagles. He then ventured to the Windy City in 2023, working as a Bear for consecutive seasons. He’s now seeing his deal running for three more years — from 2025 to 2027. He’s carrying a cap charge above $5.3 million in 2025 before seeing the number shoot up beyond $10.8 million for 2026 and 2027.
Chicago, quite evidently, values what the 29-year-old defender offers.
Kickoff for the Vikings and Bears on Monday Night Football is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CT on Monday, September 8th. Whoever wins climbs to a pristine 1-0 while having the double benefit of gaining an early edge over an NFC North foe.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
