A stellar first season for Chicago Bears linebacker Jack Sanborn came to an unceremonious end on Tuesday when head coach Matt Eberflus announced he would be going on injured reserve for an ankle injury. Sanborn suffered the injury in the second half of the Bears’ 25-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The loss of Sanborn is a blow for the defense and even the fans who have gravitated towards him since he took hold of a starting spot on the defense. But while Sanborn’s rookie year is over, he’s shown his career is just getting started.
Sanborn signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin. He was knocked down draft boards for his limited athleticism and perceived inability to make an impact in space. Still, Sanborn got the chance to live a life-long dream by playing for his hometown team. He showed early that he wasn’t just a feel-good story, however, He had the potential to be a big-time player.
Playing in his first preseason game, Sanborn turned heads immediately with a strong debut against the Kansas City Chiefs. He had two takeaways, a fumble and interception, and led the team with seven takeaways. Once considered a bubble player, Sanborn quickly cemented his status on the 53-man roster at the end of the summer. The only issue was he was buried on the depth chart with little-to-no chance at making an impact on defense. That was until the Bears decided to ship out star linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens, clearing a path for Sanborn to make his way up the depth chart..
Sanborn got his first NFL start against the Dallas Cowboys and notched seven tackles, all of which were solo. He had general manager Ryan Poles excited about what he could do now that he was starting at linebacker. “I know he’s a guy that’s going to be in the right position and he’s gonna make plays for us,” Poles said on the Bears pregame radio show prior to Sanborn’s second start against the Miami Dolphins.
He did just that, totaling 59 tackles, 48 of which were solo and five for a loss, three quarterback hits, two sacks, and a fumble recovery in just six starts, as Bleacher Nation Bears notes. Sanborn reached double-digit tackles in three of the Bears’ last five games and the argument can be made that he could have gotten another game down prior to his injury. He also should have nabbed an interception against the Detroit Lions too if a questionable penalty didn’t wiped it off the board.
Jack Sanborn made quite the first impression as an undrafted rookie.
Sanborn's stats in 6⃣ starts:
✌️ 2 sacks
⛔️ 59 total tackles (48 solo)
🛑 5 tackles-for-loss
👊 3 quarterback hits
🏈 1 fumble recoveryI think Sanborn's played his way into a starting role in 2023.
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) December 20, 2022
Sanborn was the most consistent defender on the field since he earned a starting role at the end of October. So what’s next for him in 2023? The linebacker position will likely look a lot different next season, but Sanborn has earned the right to start when the year opens. He’s an instinctual player and quicker on the field than many realize. You can’t teach instinctual play, especially at such a reactionary position like linebacker. The Bears, meanwhile, can focus on improving other positions and not have to worry about linebacker with Sanborn in the fold.
He even has Bears fans calling him the second coming of Brian Urlacher at various points throughout the year. It’s not fair to go that far, but Sanborn has a place on this team and was once just considered a special teams contributor at best a few months ago. This year has proven all of that false and the future is extremely bright for No. 57. His rookie season is over, but you can be sure his successful career is just beginning.
