It was a perfect Sunday for the Chicago Bears. Not only did they completely blow out the Cleveland Browns, but they also took a commanding lead in the NFC North after the losses by the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions. With a massive game against Green Bay in Week 16, the Bears are in an excellent spot to clinch a postseason spot.
While Bears fans should almost exclusively have positive takeaways from the game, there is one member of the team who finds himself in a difficult position. Rookie linebacker Ruben Hyppolite was inactive for the game despite not carrying an injury designation. Even though the former fourth-round pick missed the last two weeks with a shoulder injury, he was expected to suit up on Sunday. The fact that he was a healthy scratch, even as Tremaine Edmunds remains on the injured reserve, doesn't bode well for him in the rest of the season.
Bears Defense Trending Up Without Ruben Hyppolite
It's not like the Bears missed Hyppolite out there. The defense had another impressive showing, holding the Browns to three points while registering five sacks and forcing a trio of turnovers. One of the standout performers on that end of the field was linebacker D'Marco Jackson, who recently became an every-down defender. On Sunday, he had seven tackles, one sack, one QB hit, one interception, and two pass breakups.
At this point, Hyppolite is firmly behind Jackson, T.J. Edwards, Amen Ogbongbemiga, and Noah Sewell in the rotation. Perhaps he is still not feeling 100% because of his injury, and he was inactive as a precaution. Ogbongbemiga exited the game on Sunday with a hamstring injury, so there could be an opportunity for Hyppolite to play next week. Regardless, it's hard to imagine him having a big role on this defense that is trending up.
Hyppolite got his first and only big opportunity in the season in Week 12 when he started against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Much to his dismay, he only lasted 13 defensive snaps before leaving the game with an injury. As things stand now, that may be the last chance the 24-year-old defender gets in his rookie season.
That would be a fitting end to what has been a disappointing rookie campaign. When the Bears drafted Hyppolite in the fourth round, it was considered a reach as he was given a late-round grade at best in most mock drafts. General manager Ryan Poles' gamble raised even more questions when Hyppolite lost the third linebacker spot to Noah Sewell before the season. That has defined the rest of 2025 for Hyppolite, and he may find it hard to turn his fortunes around with how well the Bears have been playing lately.