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Bear Digest

The Dangerous Linebacker Situation Bears Face Already as Camp Unfolds

One player could help them past injury issues and player shortage by stepping up his playing level well above a disappointing 2025 season.
Gene Chamberlain|
T.J. Edwards leaves the field on a cart after breaking his leg against the Packers in the playoffs.
T.J. Edwards leaves the field on a cart after breaking his leg against the Packers in the playoffs. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

While Kyler Gordon is the potentially damaging long-term concern among Bears designated to sit out practices starting training camp, there is another major issue.

In the short term, it can be just as damaging as losing Gordon.

It's rather early for this to happen but it's a problem the Bears went through last year during the regular season. The obstacle they face is position attrition. Already, their linebacker corps is under pressure from this injury situation because they're down three players. It's pointing toward last year, when they were without the top four linebackers.

Starting without T.J. Edwards, rookie Keyshaun Elliott and Noah Sewell means there are eight linebackers to start out training camp. It's a number they could live with for a short time but if they want to add another linebacker they will need to cut someone.

Edwards' situation could be cleared up quickly if he passes physical testing after his broken leg suffered in the playoffs.

Designation for either the non-football injury list or the preseason physically unable to perform list does not allow a team a roster exemption, so numbers at the position for practices become touch and go. They have two players who can line up with starters in Devin Bush and D'Marco Jackson, but beyond this it looks sketchy.

Rookie debut delayed

Losing Elliott at the outset is a tough blow because a fifth-round linebacker can be expected to make the roster and contribute on special teams, while learning to compete at a starting position.

The Bears can get away with fewer linebackers at camp for a while because of the high amount of nickel defense they play. They really would be practicing in nickel coverage for the most part until pads can come on at the fourth practice.

Besides having fewer linebackers for scrimmage, it depletes their special teams because these positions are major players for coverage teams.

The remaining linebackers are Bush, Ruben Hyppolite II, Jackson, Jack Sanborn, Nephi Sewell, Jon Rhattigan, Wayne Matthews III, and Tony Fields II.

Fields has played only 10 games since coming into the NFL in 2021. Rhattigan is a former Seahawks, Panthers, Steelers and Raiders backup who has played largely on special teams without every starting a game in five seasons. Nephi Sewell, Noah's brother, has one NFL start in four seasons. Matthews is an undrafted rookie free agent from Michigan State.

The one player who could solve everything

Getting Edwards back quickly would help immensely but there is one other player who could greatly solve their numbers problem. This is Hyppolite.

Drafted in Round 4 last year, and a controversial pick from the outset, Hyppolite's calling card was supposed to be great speed. He had supposedly run a 4.39-second 40-yard dash and the Bears beamed over how they had secured such a fast player in Round 4. Meanwhile, critics said he wasn't an effective player and barely was draftable.

The speed was never evident during the season. Instead, Hyppoolite was a colossal disappointment. The 132nd pick of the draft got into only seven games and made one start. He was on the field for 31 defensive plays and 82 on special teams. His season production consisted of six tackles, three solo and three assists. He wasn't active for a game after week 12 of the season as the Bears used Jackson ahead of him after signing the former Saints linebacker off waivers.

The Bears could benefit greatly if Hyppolite shows marked improvement over his rookie performance.

A team ranking 29th in yards allowed per run and 27th overall against the run can ill afford to have so many players sidelined at the outset.

Edwards' injury situation is somewhat disturbing because it was the same designation they gave Jaylon Johnson after he suffered an offseason injury in personal training. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the reason Edwards starts on NFI is he suffered a muscle strain.

Last year Johnson never really got healthy enough to play close to full strength the rest of the year after his start on NFI for a soft tissue injury resulting after minicamp ended.

Edwards last year also had soft tissue injuries before breaking his leg, and there is a concern with this, as well. When they did have him in the lineup they were close to middle of the pack in stopping the run but without him wound up near the bottom.

A team with defensive personnel questions on the front line and in the secondary at slot cornerback doesn't need issues at linebacker but the Bears already have them.

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Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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