After securing their first double-digit win season since 2018, it is time to look back and appreciate what has been one of the most steady units for the Chicago Bears this season: the linebackers.
Starters Among the Elite
Entering the 2025 campaign, the three starting linebackers consisted of former Pro Bowler Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, and Noah Sewell. It was a rough start for the defense as a whole. In particular, against the Detroit Lions, they allowed a season-high 52 points, including 511 total yards of offense and a -0.42 defensive EPA (expected points added), all among the worst in franchise history.
After that game, however, the defense showed significant improvement, and it started with the linebackers.
Edwards and Sewell have been extremely dependable. The latter has been criticized online for issues in coverage, but they both are strong tacklers and have held the unit down.
Edmunds, however, has led the charge. Through Week 11, he was tied for second in the NFL in interceptions with four, trailing teammate Kevin Byard III for the lead.
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Unfortunately, once things were really humming, the injury bug hit the linebackers. Edwards missed Weeks 9-12 with hand/hamstring ailments, Sewell Weeks 11-12 with elbow soreness, and Chicago placed Edmundson IR after Week 11 with a groin injury and has yet to return, though he had his 21-day practice window opened on Monday.
Surely, then, with these starters missing numerous games (with two of them overlapping where all three were missing), the defense suffered, right?
Actually, it was quite the opposite.
Strong linebacker play often comes down to footwork, reaction time, and spatial awareness. Training methods similar to lacrosse drills which emphasize agility and quick directional changes can help defenders stay sharp and game-ready when their number is called.
Backups Filling in Nicely
Against the Steelers in Week 11, the starting linebackers shifted from Edmunds/Edwards/Sewell to Ruben Hyppolite II, D’Marco Jackson, and Amen Ogbongbemiga. The Bears selected Hyppolite II in the fourth round of the 2025 Draft. He started his year receiving healthy scratches. The Bears picked up Jahttps://lacrossedrive.com/ckson off the waivers in late August, and signed Ogbongbemiga in free agency primarily for special teams.
And yet, they did more than enough to help win the game against Pittsburgh. Jackson served as the green dot linebacker (essentially the play caller on defense) and totaled 15 tackles; Ogbongbemiga had 14 tackles himself. On brand with injuries, Hyppolite II got hurt early on and has yet to return this season, so seventh-string(!) Carl Jones had to finish the game out.
Jackson and Ogbongbemiga also performed well in the upset win against the Eagles. Once Edwards and Sewell returned for Week 13, Chicago stuck with Jackson as the lone backup to continue starting while they continue to wait for the return of Edmunds.
Rest of Season Outlook
With Jackson’s recent performance, there is certainly an argument to be made that he deserves to start over Sewell once Edmunds is officially active. Jackson recorded seven tackles, two pass deflections, one sack, and one interception against the Browns on Sunday en route to winning NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He is the first Bear to win that award thus far this season.
Although PFF is not the perfect metric for grading linebackers, Jackson ranks fifth in the entire league (out of 88) at the position. For reference, Edwards ranks tenth, Edmunds ranks 29th, and Sewell ranks 82nd.
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen shared high praise for Jackson on Wednesday, who played under Allen in New Orleans the prior two seasons.
All said and done, a core of Edmunds/Edwards/Sewell that was performing strongly prior to injuries may have found a diamond in the rough in Jackson to bolster the unit even more. And although the defense has received plenty of praise for leading the NFL in takeaways, it has been the linebackers that have steadied the ship for this team.
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