Chicago Bears will have a fully healthy linebacker corps at start of training camp

The Chicago Bears made splash signings at linebacker in free agency with the additions of Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards. Both players are viewed as two of the best at their positions and will be the best pair of linebackers the Bears have fielded since the glory days of Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs.

But Coach Matt Eberflus’ defense requires three linebackers (at least some of the time) to be reliable defenders. That leaves last year’s undrafted standout, Jack Sanborn, as the third starter.

Sanborn was one of the top success stories from the 2022 season. The former Wisconsin standout didn’t hear his name called on draft weekend but emerged as a starter for the Chicago Bears after Roquan Smith was traded to the Baltimore Ravens.

Sanborn went on to start six games and totaled 64 tackles and two sacks, but his remarkable rookie year came to a stop in late December because of an ankle injury.

It was an unfortunate end to an incredible first season for Sanborn, who said in a recent interview with ESPN 1000 that he’s ready for a healthy return to training camp.

“We all understood what the main goal was, the main goal was getting healthy,” Sanborn said. “Getting my ankle to 100%. And obviously, I didn’t do OTAs and do minicamp, (I) just really focused on trying to getting back, and getting back to 100%…Born to play LB

“I’ve kind of made my offseason a little different… but I think, at the same, I’ve made the most of it, you know, trying to get better at different areas… and yeah, I think, everyone’s comfortable. I’m very comfortable with where I’m at right now… yeah, (I’m) ready to hit the ground running in a week or so, and, you know, start year two.”

Sanborn was projected as a starter at the close of the 2022 season, but the Chicago Bears’ massive free-agency investment at linebacker makes that projection a little less sure.

One thing is certain: Jack Sanborn will bring his hustling blue-collar mentality back to the practice field this summer, where he’ll no longer be an undrafted rookie trying to make the team. Instead, he’ll be a second-year pro beginning summer practices as a starter.