Bears rookie LB Jack Sanborn deserves playing time with the starters
Bears undrafted rookie linebacker Jack Sanborn had the standout performance in the team’s 19-14 preseason victory over the Chiefs.
Sanborn was all over the field on defense and special teams, where he showed off his instincts and athleticism while reminding the other 31 NFL teams why they made a mistake passing him over.
He totaled five tackles, including one tackle-for-loss, and one pass breakup on defense. He added two tackles on special teams, but another tackle didn’t count due to a penalty on the Bears. But it was Sanborn’s affinity for takeaways that made his performance even more impressive.
Sanborn spawned Chicago’s second-half comeback with a pair of takeaways, including an interception and a fumble recovery that led to 10 points for the Bears.
“It’s something that we harp on all the time in practice,” Sanborn said, via ChicagoBears.com. “Takeaways are the name of the game here in the NFL. We got a takeaway and then we got another one right after that and kind of built some momentum.”
Not only did Sanborn made a strong case for a roster spot, but he’s certainly earned more playing time, specifically with the starters during the preseason.
Outside of Roquan Smith and Nicholas Morrow, the linebacker group is up for grabs. Sanborn is someone who could compete for playing time, and perhaps even shake things up in the linebacker corp.
“He made plays on defense and special teams,” quarterback Justin Fields said of Sanborn, “so just seeing him go out there, ball out, just seeing him coming to work every day, seeing him put in the work, he’s a baller, and of course he showed it out there on the field today.”
With Smith in the middle of a contract dispute, the Bears should see what Sanborn can do with the starters during Thursday’s preseason game against the Seahawks.
Sanborn played both middle and outside linebacker during Saturday’s opener against the Chiefs. But the Bears should experiment a little bit with moving Morrow to the weak side and seeing what Sanborn can do in the middle with the first-team.
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