The big storyline coming out of Chicago in recent days is that rookie first-round pick Mitchell Trubisky will make his NFL debut on Monday against the Vikings. But the bigger development could be that Chicago's already-decimated defense just lost another key player.
Edge rusher Willie Young is out for the season with a triceps injury that will require surgery, reports the Chicago Tribune's Dan Wiederer.
Young joins linebacker Jerrell Freeman (torn pectoral muscle) and safety Quintin Demps (broken arm) as defensive starters on injured reserve. Young didn't practice on Friday or Saturday and was listed as doubtful on the team's most recent injury report ahead of the Vikings game.
"Any time you lose a starter, (it's difficult)," coach Fox said when asked Saturday about being without Young on Monday night. "I think there's a reason they're the starter. But I feel good about our backups. I feel good about the replacement people we've had in there. We've got more depth this season than we've had in the past. So I feel confident in the people we'll have out there and the options we have."
Outside linebacker Pernell McPhee added: "It's definitely going to impact the rotation. That's another guy who knows how to get after the quarterback. This is where the depth in our room is really going to show and how much we trust in each other. I think we have the guys who can make up for it. But you really can't make up for Willie."
The Lions originally selected Young in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He's been with the Bears since 2014 and has 26 sacks in 50 games.
As it stands, the Bears are 1-3 and in last place in the NFC North. Before losing Young, the defense ranked 21st in the league, according to Football Outsiders' metrics.
