The 2025 NFL free agency period opens on March 12, leaving just over a week for all 32 teams to decide what they're going to do with their pending free agents.
The Chicago Bears will have to make some tough decisions in the coming days. According to Spotrac, the Bears have 33 players who will hit the open market in some capacity next Wednesday, including nine individuals who are either restricted free agents or exclusive rights FAs.
Although there's a decent chunk of time to re-sign some of those players, the Bears have just made it clear that one of their pending RFAs won't be returning for the 2025 season.
Bears Aren't Tendering RFA LB Jack Sanborn Before Free Agency
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Tuesday that the Bears won't be tendering RFA linebacker Jack Sanborn's qualifying offer. As a result, the former Wisconsin Badger will be an unrestricted free agent next week.
The #Bears are not tendering RFA linebacker Jack Sanborn, per source.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 4, 2025
Their starting Sam linebacker the past two seasons also has seven starts as an MLB, when he had 71 tackles (six for loss) and three QB hurries. He’s now set to hit free agency. pic.twitter.com/G88lbFMcJO
Sanborn, 24, has spent the last three years in Chicago after going undrafted in 2022. The former Wisconsin Badger's reliable play and versatility have resulted in his becoming one of the Bears' key linebackers, having started in 19 of his 48 career appearances.
Having said that, Sanborn's performance did dip in 2024. The veteran LB finished with 17 solo tackles after recording a combined 93 in the two previous seasons. On top of that, he surrendered a career-worst 118.7 passer rating on nine targets while also missing 7.9% of his tackling attempts.
Additionally, Sanborn's Pro Football Focus grades in terms of coverage (45.1) and overall defense (63.1) were the worst efforts of his career. Perhaps Chicago saw the direction his performance was trending and decided to cut ties before it was too late.
Although Sanborn will hit the open market, a reunion with the Bears isn't impossible. OverTheCap lists the lowest RFA qualifying offer at just over $3.2 million, meaning it's possible Chicago doesn't think Sanborn is worth that cost and believes he can be re-signed for a lower amount.
At the end of the day, Sanborn likely won't be back in the Windy City unless 1) something drastically changes or 2) it's as a visiting player. Nevertheless, Bears fans will have a better idea of what the veteran LB's future looks like when the NFL's legal tampering period begins on Monday.