The 2022 season was an overall disappointing outing for the Chicago Bears, as nagging injuries and inadequate play culminated in the club only scoring three wins in 17 games. The season wasn’t all doom and gloom, however; several players took hold of their opportunities and made the best of them.
Quarterback Justin Fields is the prime example, of course, but there were other players who displayed growth in their roles, such as safety Jaquan Brisker, cornerback Kyler Gordon and, most surprisingly, undrafted rookie linebacker Jack Sanborn.
Wisconsin’s own Sanborn became a real diamond in the rough for a Bears team that desperately needed a spark at the linebacker position, especially after former Bears All-Pro Roquan Smith was traded to the Ravens.
Sanborn’s quietly solid season came to an end after an ankle injury in a late-season matchup against the Eagles placed him on the injured/reserved list. Both the fans and media had some concerns that the injury may keep the young linebacker out of training camp, but Sanborn put those worries to rest in a recent interview with ESPN 1000 Bears Weekly, in which he confirms that he’s “ready to hit the ground running.”
The hosts of the show, former Bears Tom Thayer and Jim Miller, asked Sanborn about the sort of topics he discussed with the front office during his end-of-season exit interview.
“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%…
“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’s readiness for his sophomore year is an exciting prospect for Bears fans, considering general manager Ryan Poles committed to rebuilding the linebacker position in the offseason, signing the Bills’ Tremaine Edmunds and the Eagles’ T.J. Edwards. Add Sanborn into the mix, and that creates one frightening position group that will punish anyone daring enough to challenge the linebackers over the middle.
Sanborn filled up the stat sheet in his debut season, recording 64 tackles, one fumble recovery, and two sacks.
