Bears start rookie LT Kiran Amegadjie, who gets beat for strip sack fumble
MINNEAPOLIS — Forced to choose between starting a rookie who might be able to help them next year and a veteran who won’t, the Bears put third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie at left tackle Monday night.
They knew his first start would be trial by fire: playing in a loud stadium against the NFL’s most aggressive blitz defense.
“I’m sure he’ll have his rookie moments,” general manager Ryan Poles said on the Bears’ official pregame show on ESPN 1000. “But he’s a guy who’s resilient who will continue to fight as the game goes on.”
It didn’t take long for Amegadjie to prove the first part right. Midway through the first quarter, he was beat around the end by Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, who sacked quarterback Caleb Williams and forced a fumble that teammate Blake Cashman returned 17 yards.
WHAT A HIT!@JonGreenard7 and @blockayyy team up for the strip-sack and fumble recovery.#ProBowlVote
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 17, 2024
????: @ABC pic.twitter.com/PqY4f8fDQr
Amegadjie, who had quadriceps surgery 14 months ago while at Yale and wasn’t cleared to practice until midway through training camp, had played only 58 offensive snaps before Monday.
The Hinsdale Central alum’s promotion came on short notice. Starting left tackle Braxton Jones reported concussion symptoms Sunday that Poles reiterated stemmed from the 49ers game. Poles wasn’t concerned that Jones may have been harmed further in practice, noting that the Bears don’t have a lot of “high-intensity movements” during the week this late in the season.
The Bears chose Amegadjie to start instead of Larry Borom, who filled in for Jones at left tackle for two games this season. Borom is in the final year of his contract.
Good news, bad news for Stevenson
Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson — of “Fail Mary” fame — logged his first interception since Week 1 when he picked off Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold’s pass on fourth-and-three from the Bears’ 23-yard line in the second quarter. Darnold escaped pressure and lofted a pass toward two receivers. After picking it off, Stevenson returned it for a yard. Had he knocked it to the ground, the Bears would have started their drive seven yards closer to the goal.
Notes
The Vikings debuted their “Winter Warrior” uniforms: white helmets, white jerseys with purple numbers trimmed in silver, and white pants with a purple stripe inside a thicker silver stripe. It was the first time they had ever worn white helmets.
To celebrate the “icy” uniforms, the Vikings brought in rapper Vanilla Ice, who performed at halftime.
The Coldest ???????????? pic.twitter.com/pdDD8LCRJF
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 17, 2024
• The Bears don’t have a single player ranked in the top 10 at his position in Pro Bowl fan voting.
• Former Vikings receivers Cris Carter and Jake Reed, the team’s honorary captains, carried a purple Randy Moss jersey out for the coin toss. Moss revealed last week he had surgery to treat bile duct cancer.
• Bears defensive end Darrell Taylor was fined $16,883 for hitting 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy in the head last week. He had been flagged on the play.