The Chicago Bears are preparing for Week 18 and a potential playoff run without starting linebacker Noah Sewell in the lineup. According to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, it is believed that Sewell suffered a torn Achilles, likely ruling out the linebacker for the rest of the 2025 season, and possibly for a large portion of next year as well. This is a familiar story with a defender who simply cannot stay on the field with any level of consistency.
Since joining the Chicago roster, Sewell has played only 13, nine, and 13 games in the first three seasons of his NFL career.
There is simply no dancing around the fact that Sewell is proving to be extremely injury-prone. This is evidenced by an injury history that includes a laundry list of ailments that have held him to 11.7 games per season. With his rookie contract finishing up after the 2026 season, one has to wonder what his future in Chicago will look like.
It's Time for the Bears to Consider a Split from Noah Sewell
Sewell doesn't make sense as a potential roster cut. Sewell is only scheduled to be a $1.2 million cap hit in 2026, per Spotrac, making it clear he is a wild card worth keeping on the roster. However, if he is unable to return within a reasonable timetable it is clearly time for the two sides to part ways.
Whether or not Sewell can return next season, a divorce could be on the table this offseason. His injury history is growing too big to ignore, and it doesn't help that he has a lot to improve on, having allowed an 82.9% completion rate and 127.9 passer rating on 35 targets this season — all while missing 13.2% of his tackling attempts.
Although there's a chance that he'll recover and continue to improve, there's also the possibility that Sewell's latest injury will torpedo any progress he's made. That will make him a huge question mark going into Year 4, leaving time to tell if he'll be healthy enough to play his way back into the Bears' future.
Sewell has shown flashes of being a long-term answer, but the bright spots are too few and far between as long as he keeps spending time on the sidelines. Injury-prone players rarely stay on the field as long as they age, making it clear that Sewell's rookie contract could be the first and last one he receives from the Bears.