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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…
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