The Chicago Bears won’t have linebacker Noah Sewell available for the rest of Monday Night Football against the Washington Commanders after an instance of accidental friendly fire knocked him out in the first half with an injury.
The Bears officially ruled out Sewell for the rest of Monday night’s game against the Commanders with a concussion early in the third quarter, shutting him down after he sustained a scary blow to the head in the second quarter that left him severely shaken.
With 5:30 left in the first half, Sewell had tried to assist fellow linebackers T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds in tackling Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt at the end of a 1st-and-10 passing play, but he took a shot to the head when teammate Jonathan Ford accidentally crashed into him while trying to help them with the stop.
The hit left Sewell down on the field for an extended period of time. While he eventually walked off under his own power, he quickly made his way into the blue medical tent and then headed into the locker room with team trainers before the end of the first half.
D’Marco Jackson came off the bench to replace Sewell as the Bears‘ SAM linebacker. The Bears will likely stick with him for the rest of the game against the Commanders, as they made rookie linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II a healthy scratch for Week 6’s game.
Noah Sewell Played Well in Relief of T.J. Edwards
Sewell was back in his expected role at SAM linebacker for Monday’s game against the Commanders with Edwards back from injury for the first time since Week 2, but he had done well in relief of Edwards as Chicago’s No. 2 linebacker in the two previous games.
Sewell had tallied 25 total tackles (14 solo), one tackle for loss and one forced fumble in his three relief starts for Edwards this season, including his fill-in performance during the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. According to Pro Football Focus, he has also recorded 11 total defensive stops over his 214 defensive snaps this season.
Sewell did, however, struggle in coverage for the Bears. He had allowed 15 receptions for 115 yards and two touchdowns on 17 targets in coverage through his four games.
Even still, the Bears will find themselves shorthanded at linebacker for however long Sewell must spend in the NFL’s concussion protocol. It is possible he could return as soon as Week 7, but the severity of the concussion and his ability to pass the proper recovery checks will determine whether he can realistically make a quick turnaround.
Will Ruben Hyppolite II Inherit Bigger Role for Bears?
The Bears did not have Hyppolite — their fourth-round rookie — active for Monday’s game against the Commanders, but there is a chance he could inherit a larger role for Chicago’s defense in the coming week if Sewell misses time with his concussion.
Hyppolite battled with Sewell for the SAM linebacker job in training camp and has gotten preference over Jackson as a rotational linebacker so far this season, playing 18 defensive snaps to Jackson’s one. While the Bears made Jackson active over Hyppolite against the Commanders, it may have been a decision based on special teams value.
The Bears could also soon return veteran linebacker and special teams contributor Amen Ogbongbemiga, who is eligible to be designated for return from the injured reserve list after he landed there during the 53-man roster cutdown in August.
The Bears will play again next Sunday when they meet the Saints for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
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