Bears Fear Achilles Tear For Noah Sewell
The Bears lost out on the opportunity to secure the No. 1 seed during their loss yesterday. The team’s defense was also dealt a blow in the process. 
Linebacker Noah Sewell was carted off the field Sunday and quickly ruled out with an ankle injury. Upon further testing, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports an Achilles tear is feared to have occurred. An MRI is pending, but Sewell is in danger of missing the rest of the season.
The linebacker position has been among those hit hard by injuries for Chicago in 2025. Sewell did not register any starts during his first two seasons in the league, but he has made nine this year. Handling a 50% snap share, the former fifth-round pick has registered 59 tackles and one forced fumble. It appears as though he will not be able to add to that production, however.
Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards were mainstays on defense last night. That will no doubt remain the case for Week 18 and into the playoffs. Losing Sewell for the remainder of 2025 will leave Chicago thin at the LB position, however, and how defensive coordinator Dennis Allen replaces him will be interesting to see. D’Marco Jackson is a candidate to step into an increased defensive workload, although even after Sewell’s injury he did not see any snaps last night against San Francisco.
Sewell, 23, is attached to his rookie contract through the 2026 season. He will soon be eligible for an extension for the first time in his career, but a major injury would of course lessen the chances of a new pact being worked out early. While Sewell’s attention will turn to a lengthy recovery process, the 11-5 Bears will look to secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC during the final week of the regular season.
Bears LB Jack Sanborn Expected To Be “Full Speed” For Training Camp
Jack Sanborn was an unexpected contributor for the Bears last season, with the undrafted rookie getting into 14 games. An ankle injury ended his rookie season prematurely, but it sounds like the linebacker will be good to go for the start of training camp. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, Sanborn is expected to be “full speed” when the team gathers for training camp next month.
Sanborn ended up making the Bears roster out of the preseason, and he was eventually elevated to the starting lineup when Chicago moved star Roquan Smith. When all was said and done, the rookie ended up starting six of his 14 appearances last year, finishing with 64 tackles and a pair of sacks. Pro Football Focus ranked him 41st among 81 qualifying linebackers, and they handed him one of the top grades at his position for pass rushing.
Sanborn’s recovery from his season-ending knee injury extended into minicamp, forcing the second-year player to the sideline. As a result, rookie fifth-round pick Noah Sewell got a chance to work with the starters. While the Oregon product seemed to impress during his initial practices, coach Matt Eberflus was quick to point out that the starting gig still belongs to Sanborn.
“We’ll see where he goes,” Eberflus said of Sewell (via Biggs). “With rookies, it’s always ‘Know what to do first.’ So he knows his assignment so he can do it fast. He’s getting better at it. We love his instincts. He’s a very instinctual player.
“And so is Jack. Jack is a very instinctual player, plays multiple positions for us. But Jack will be the starter there going into (training camp) and then we’ll see what Noah can do to press him.”
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/4/23
After the Panthers got the ball rolling yesterday, a number of teams started signing draft picks to their rookie contracts today. We’ve compiled all of the four-year, later-round signings below:
Baltimore Ravens
- CB Kyu Blu Kelly (fifth round, Stanford)
- OT Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu (sixth round, Oregon)
- G Andrew Vorhees (seventh round, USC)
Chicago Bears
- LB Noah Sewell (fifth round, Oregon)
- CB Terell Smith (fifth round, Minnesota)
- DT Travis Bell (seventh round, Kennesaw State)
- S Kendall Williamson (seventh round, Stanford)
Green Bay Packers
- QB Sean Clifford (fifth round, Penn State)
- WR Grant DuBose (seventh round, Charlotte)
Indianapolis Colts
- TE Will Mallory (fifth round, Miami)
- RB Evan Hull (fifth round, Northwestern)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- WR Parker Washington (sixth round, Penn State)
New England Patriots
- WR Kayshon Boutte (sixth round, LSU)
New York Jets
- DB Jarrick Bernard-Converse (sixth round, LSU)
Philadelphia Eagles
- QB Tanner McKee (sixth round, Stanford)
- DT Moro Ojomo (seventh round, Texas)
San Francisco 49ers
- DE Robert Beal Jr. (fifth round, Georgia)
Seattle Seahawks
- RB Kenny McIntosh (seventh round, Georgia)