Bears Likely Cutting Ties With $1.2M Fan Favorite Before Season

The Chicago Bears will eventually have to make a lot of tough decisions when trimming the roster to just 53 players, and that could include cutting ties with linebacker Jack Sanborn, who’s back with the team after a brief stint with the Dallas Cowboys.

Sanborn, who signed a one-year, $1.215 million deal this offseason, struggled despite reuniting with former head coach Matt Eberflus in Dallas, earning a 56 overall grade by Pro Football Focus after appearing in just 229 defensive snaps.

With seven missed tackles and a 107.3 passer rating allowed in coverage, this could be Sanborn’s last opportunity to prove he can get back to form when he was a fan-favorite in Chicago.

“I love it here in Chicago and being part of what [coach] Ben Johnson and [defensive coordinator] Dennis Allen have been building here and the success that they’ve had,” Sanborn told ChicagoBears.com. “It’s something I couldn’t pass up, and I’m grateful that I’m able to come back here and help in any way I can.”

Bears Likely Cutting Ties With LB Jack Sanborn Before Season

This isn’t trying to single out Jack Sanborn either. The Bears have a lot of talented linebackers on the roster, some of whom are likely guaranteed a spot on the team.

Devin Bush just signed a three-year, $30 million deal this offseason, T.J. Edwards and D’Marco Jackson were two starters from last season, and Ruben Hyppolite II/Noah Sewell are two mid-round draft picks by the Bears from recent drafts.

Chicago also drafted Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, bringing the total to six linebackers, not counting Sanborn and other linebackers on the roster.

In 2025, the Bears carried just five LBs on the roster, making Sanborn’s chances of making the roster that much harder. It’ll be great if he can prove me wrong, considering he’s cheap and young (25 years old).

But the road looks like it’ll be tough for the former Wisconsin Badger.

What Does Keyshaun Elliott Bring to the Table?

GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – JANUARY 01: Quinn Ewers #3 of the Texas Longhorns is tackled by Keyshaun Elliott #44 of the Arizona State Sun Devils during the fourth quarter in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 01, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Keyshaun Elliott was actually given a third-round projection by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. Here’s what he had to say about the 22-year-old linebacker:

“A two-year starter at Arizona State (and for three-and-a-half years overall), Elliott wore the green dot as the Mike linebacker in defensive coordinator Brian Ward’s 4-2-5 base scheme. He combined for more than 300 career tackles and was the only player from a power conference in 2025 with 90-plus tackles, 14-plus tackles for loss and seven-plus sacks.

Elliott has good size and speed for the position, with the read-react instincts to trigger and go. A high school quarterback, he does a great job picking up on pre-snap clues and meets contact with violence as a downhill tackler. In coverage, he has functional athleticism but needs to see things faster. He was the heart of the linebacker room (Arizona State’s LBs called themselves the ‘Werewolves’), and his uplifting leadership style will translate well to the league.”

“During the scouting and pre-draft process, the Bears received rave reviews from everybody they spoke to about Elliott,” Bears writer Gabby Hajduk wrote.

“[Football] was just something I fell in love with,” Elliott said. “It takes you away from everything else that’s going on in the world. It kind of gives you something to do that’s bigger than yourself. You build tons of relationships. You’re part of a bunch of different groups of guys that you’re going to know for the rest of your life.

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