The Chicago Bears haven’t been shy in their displeasure with Ruben Hyppolite II’s rookie season. After playing sparingly during the 2025 campaign, there appeared to be light at the end of the tunnel for the Maryland product when Tremaine Edmunds was released. However, he tumbled right back down the depth chart when the Bears re-signed D'Marco Jackson and reached a free-agent agreement with Devin Bush on March 9.
With Jackson and T.J. Edwards in the fold, Hyppolite was going to need a strong offseason program to keep his roster spot in 2026. But that got a lot tougher when the Bears announced they signed Jack Sanborn to a one-year deal on Thursday.
A fan-favorite known as “The Sandman” from his previous time in Chicago, bringing Sanborn back should be a popular move. But it may not be as popular for Hyppolite, who is encountering more competition as he looks to rebound from a rough rookie year.
Jack Sanborn Creates Another Obstacle for Bears’ LB Ruben Hyppolite II
Sanborn’s return to Chicago isn’t good for Hyppolite’s prospects in 2026. A former UDFA out of Wisconsin, Sanborn worked his way into a key reserve role during his rookie season in 2022 and even started 10 games, logging 65 total tackles, a sack, an interception, and two pass defenses during the 2023 season. After spending his first three years with the Bears, Sanborn left on a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys, but his lone season was derailed by a Week 5 concussion and a Week 7 injury.
The Bears are set in the starting lineup with Edwards returning and Bush joining the fold, but the next two spots are taken by Jackson and Sewell, leaving Sanborn to battle Hyppolite for a roster spot on the back end of the depth chart.
Hyppolite’s previous performance suggests it could be an uphill battle. A player that was ranked 603rd on NFL Mock Draft’s Database’s consensus board, Hyppolite looked like a reach during the preseason, making 10 total tackles and earning a 52.9 overall grade in three games, according to Pro Football Focus. It didn’t get better for the former Terrapin from there as Hyppolite logged just six tackles in seven games and was passed by Jackson on the depth chart.
Sanborn's signing seems like bad news, considering his history with the team. But it gets worse when you consider that he played under Matt Eberflus’s coaching staff. With Dennis Allen now at defensive coordinator, Sanborn has been brought in by a regime with no prior connection to him, meaning the Bears were looking for a player to push Hyppolite this offseason.
With the track record of success Hyppolite doesn’t have, Sanborn should be the favorite to earn a roster spot. If Hyppolite doesn’t win the job, the Bears might have to rethink what they saw in him in the first place, or if he even fits with the team that took a huge leap of faith one year ago.
It leaves what was already an uncertain future for Hyppolite even more of a question mark, and could lead to his final months in Chicago occurring during the offseason program.