Latest Bears Injury News Positions T.J. Hockenson for Breakout Week 1 Performance

The Minnesota Vikings will officially kick off the J.J. McCarthy era on Monday night when they take their talents to the Windy City for an NFC North showdown against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

While all eyes will be on the new QB for the Vikings, one storyline that may fly under the radar this weekend, leading up to Monday night, concerning the health of one of Chicago's top defenders may be the difference between a good performance and a breakout performance for one of McCarthy's top receiving options.

With Bears head coach Ben Johnson revealing on Saturday that veteran linebacker T.J. Edwards is considered doubtful for Monday night, a rookie is next in line to slide into the starting lineup. This should make veteran tight end T.J. Hockenson salivate over the potential opportunities that could come his way as a result.

T.J. Edwards' Injury Could Lead to Breakout Game for Vikings' Hockenson

As my colleague Richard Louis pointed out, the loss of Edwards for Week 1 would thrust rookie linebacker Ruben Hyppolite into the starting lineup. While Hyppolite had a solid collegiate career in the Big 10, the NFL is a different animal from the college game. Being asked to limit the damage a player as talented as Hockenson can have in the passing game is a big ask of the rookie.

With 382 receptions and over 4,000 receiving yards to his name over his professional career, Hockenson is as trustworthy a TE as there is in the NFL today. With McCarthy making his first NFL start, seeing him rely on Hockenson as a safety blanket of sorts would make a lot of sense. Given this injury news, getting Hockenson the ball should be a priority for Kevin O'Connell and the offensive coaching staff.

Whether that is the feeling that Minnesota's coaching staff has as well remains to be seen. However, Vikings fans can take solace in the fact that the wait for real, meaningful football is all but over. Week 1 has officially arrived.

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