Chicago Bears will start Khaseem Greene

Chicago Bears linebacker Khaseem Greene (60) drops back into coverage during training camp at Olivet Nazarene University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bears will be missing veteran leader and starting WILL linebacker Lance Briggs for 4-6 weeks following an injury in Week 7 against the Washington Redskins, and it sounds like the Bears will now have two rookies starting at linebacker. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears will start Rutgers Scarlet Knights fourth-round rookie Khaseem Green in Briggs’s place as the team’s weak-side linebacker.

It is possible that Greene will lose out on the gig if he plays poorly, but Biggs states that the Bears are giving Greene the first crack at the job. Greene could have easily been picked two rounds higher than he was in this year’s draft, and he had an incredible college career at Rutgers. His ability to make plays and force fumbles fits in very well with the Chicago Bears defense, as a huge part of their identity and team culture is forcing fumbles (just look at guys like Briggs and Charles Tillman).

Greene does a great job of getting downhill and stuffing the run, and I think he’ll fit in just fine as Briggs’s replacement for now. Heck, he looks like the guy who could fully replace Briggs once the Bears legend retires. Greene has “playmaker” written all over him, and he also has plenty of intangibles. This is a guy who has the ability to be a very good starting linebacker in this league for a long time if all goes well, and the Bears should definitely be glad that they took both Greene and Jon Bostic as LBs in this draft.

I think Greene will play on all three downs at the WILL until Briggs returns.

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