Chicago Bears: 3 players with much on the line in last two games

Chicago Bears players with much to play for in final two weeks: Jack Sanborn, LB

The Bears traded their mainstay at linebacker for the past four seasons when they dealt Roquan Smith to the Ravens earlier in the year. Since that trade, Baltimore’s defense has been a top-five unit in football, all together.

But, the Bears didn’t quite lose out in the end. In addition to draft capital, the Bears received an opportunity to see what the undrafted Jack Sanborn could do in a full-time role — and the former Wisconsin Badger has been an absolute standout during his audition.

Sanborn was a pleasant surprise throughout preseason and training camp, but since becoming a starter, he’s proven none of that was a fluke. In six starts, Sanborn has 64 total tackles, with 50 of them being solo. He’s also tallied five tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, 2.0 sacks and a fumble recovery.

If he can finish the season strong, there’s no reason why Sanborn couldn’t earn a long-term role on this Bears defense. The unit hasn’t been pretty, as a whole, but Sanborn has played excellent football and has a lot riding on how he ends this year.