Bears LT Kiran Amegadjie takes accountability for poor play in first start

Given just 24 hours notice after Braxton Jones reported concussion symptoms on Sunday, rookie left tackle Kiran Amegadjie was inserted into the Chicago Bears' starting lineup tasked with protecting quarterback Caleb Williams. Amegadjie, making his first NFL start, would do so on the road in a hostile environment in Minnesota, and the results were not good.

The third-round selection out of Yale had an awful performance against Vikings, with his PFF grades coming under 50 in every area, while also allowing four quarterback pressures, a strip-sack of Williams, and four penalties in the game.

At the NFL level, players in the spotlight are expected to answer questions, no matter if the result of the game is good or bad. To his credit, Amegadjie spoke with Jeff Joniak following the loss to Minnesota and took accountability for his poor play, wishing he had taken better advantage of the opportunity he had.

"The overall feeling is we lost, and I didn't play well," Amegadjie said Monday night. "Grateful, thankful, and I thank God that I walked out of here healthy, that he gave me the opportunity to make my first NFL start. I just wish I took advantage of the opportunity better."

The short-notice replacement for Amegadjie is a difficult task for any player at the NFL level, added in with the minimum amount of reps he's had this season due to injury, and then the factors he faced playing on the road in Minnesota, all were set to be a daunting task.

Amegadjie certainly handled the criticism well and deserves respect for meeting with the media afterwards, but it's clear he's not ready for a long-term shot at the left tackle position. And if Jones is set to miss any more action, the Bears should more than likely look elsewhere to fill the void at left tackle, perhaps back to Larry Borom.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears LT Kiran Amegadjie takes accountability for poor first start