Bears linebackers were wracked by injuries during 2025 season
Over the next few weeks we will evaluate how each position group did over the past season and start looking toward the offseason. Here’s a look at the linebackers room.
Linebackers
Returning players: Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Noah Sewell, Ruben Hyppolite, Amen Ogbongbemiga, Dominique Hampton, Nephi Sewell
Free agents: D’Marco Jackson, Jalen Reeves-Maybin
Looking back: Injuries hit the cornerback room the hardest on the Bears roster this season, but the linebackers room wasn’t far behind in terms of severity.
It started with Edwards, who had played in all 34 games during his first two seasons with the Bears. Edwards missed three of the first four games with a hamstring injury before he missed four games midway through the year with a broken hand. He made an impact when he did play, finishing with 67 tackles and one interception.
That injury came as Edmunds played at a high level as he moved over to the weakside linebacker spot. Edmunds used his speed and length to intercept four passes, which tied a career high, and finished with 76 tackles during the first 10 games of the season. But Edmunds missed four games toward the end of the season because of a groin injury that slowed him down when he did return for the stretch run.
Noah Sewell stepped up in Edwards’ absence and played well after dealing with injuries during his first two seasons. He had 59 tackles in 13 games this season before he suffered an Achilles injury in Week 17.
Those injuries presented players like Jackson, Ogbongbemiga and Hyppolite with opportunities, especially in November when Edmunds, Edwards and Sewell all missed two games. Jackson had a career-high 59 tackles and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after the Bears’ win over the Cleveland Browns in December. Ogbongbemiga had 14 tackles against the Pittsburgh Steelers in November.
Despite the different injuries, Hyppolite couldn’t find a way to the field often during his rookie season. He appeared in seven games and had six tackles as he battled some injuries, but mostly was a healthy scratch when he didn’t play.
What’s next: On paper the linebacker room seems mostly set for next season. But salary-cap issues could force the Bears to make some tough decisions.
All three of the Bears’ starters are under contract for the upcoming season. Edmunds and Sewell each have one year left on their deals, while Edwards will start his two-year contract extension. But that doesn’t mean all three will be back.
Chicago needs salary-cap space. Although the salary cap is expected to go up a good amount once again this offseason, the Bears will be forced to make some moves to clear cap space to improve other parts of the roster.
Edmunds might be one of those cap casualties despite his better play this season. He has the Bears’ eighth-highest cap hit in 2026 at about $17.4 million after he signed a four-year, $72 million contract in 2023. But Edmunds would only have a $2.4 million dead cap hit if the Bears decided to move on from him this offseason.
It might be the lone significant cost-saving move Poles could make in the room. The Bears probably won’t try to move on from either Edwards or Noah Sewell. Chicago signed Edwards to an extension last offseason, while Sewell only carries a $1.2 million cap hit.
Poles is likely to use one of his higher draft picks on a linebacker who can either make an impact this season or down the road. He might also be interested in bringing back Jackson after a good season as Sewell recovers from his injury.