The Chicago Bears experienced a huge turnaround in head coach Ben Johnson's first season and came agonizingly close to the NFC Championship Game with a narrow overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Despite that, the Bears head into the offseason looking for ways to build off that success, specifically at the linebacker position.
The Bears lead the league with 33 takeaways, but their defense is tied for the 22nd-most points allowed (24.2 PPG). One of the most disappointing parts of Chicago's defense this season was its LB corps, which consistently underperformed and battled numerous injuries all season long.
As a result, rookie fourth-round pick Ruben Hyppolite II was thrust into action.
With only six total tackles and 31 defensive snaps, Hyppolite did not make much of an impact during his rookie season, even with the injuries making way for him to get some playing time. While that speaks to someone who was unable to earn the trust of the coaches and could be facing plenty of competition in the process, the opportunity could still be there for him with the expected moves the Bears could make in the coming months.
Ruben Hyppolite II May Still Have an Opportunity with the Bears
Although Pro Football Focus only gives Hyppolite a below-average grade of 46.7, he has not taken enough snaps to get a full read in relation to other qualified LBs in the league. To begin with, you should not base his success, or lack thereof so far, on that alone, but it is certainly concerning when you consider how seldom he has actually been on the field.
However, Chicago's LB room is a mess right now with Noah Sewell and T.J. Edwards both on injured reserve.
Sewell suffered a torn ACL in the Week 17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, adding to his injury-prone NFL career and potentially ending his time in the Windy City if it takes some time for him to return from his latest setback. Edwards, meanwhile, was placed on IR with a lower leg injury and only appeared in 10 games total.
D'Marco Jackson has been a bright spot for the Bears' defense, putting together his best game of the season against the Cleveland Browns when he was seven-of-seven on tackles and only gave up two receptions for three yards on five targets. He also added a season-high 15 tackles in the Nov. 23 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, which has been key for Chicago as Tremaine Edmunds only appeared in 13 games after suffering a groin injury in Week 11.
Hyppolite was a healthy scratch in Week 15 and struggled in his Week 12 start against the Steelers, only lasting 13 defensive snaps before exiting with an injury, only adding to the poor rookie season in light of all the injuries around him. However, while Jackson should be a priority and could get a starting spot if he comes back, he is a pending free agent.
Edmunds, on the other hand, has an out on his contract after this season, meaning the Bears could also move on from him, as well, if they want to save up to $15 million in cap space, per Spotrac.
Either way, Chicago's front office has a lot of decisions to make over the next few weeks as it tries to put together the best LB group. There is no guarantee what Hyppolite will look like after a disappointing rookie campaign, but considering the lack of depth the Bears could have at the position, it is not out of the question that he is still in a position to make an impact next season if he takes that next step.