The Chicago Bears won’t have their linebacker corps at full strength for the rest of the 2025 campaign after their latest season-ending injury at the position.
According to the team’s transaction wire, the Bears placed linebacker Noah Sewell on the injured reserve list on New Year’s Eve after he tore his Achilles tendon in Week 17’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He had been their starter in the strong-side role.
Sewell had to be carted off the field in the third quarter of the Bears’ 42-38 loss to the Niners on Sunday Night Football, missing the rest of the game with an ankle injury. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport then reported the next morning that the team “believed” Sewell had torn his Achilles tendon but would have him undergo an MRI to confirm.
Now, the Bears have effectively confirmed Sewell’s initial diagnosis, placing him on IR. While he would technically become eligible to return before the NFC Championship, if the Bears were still playing, the recovery time is far longer than that for a torn Achilles.
The Bears have their other top two linebackers, Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, healthy heading into the final week of the regular season. In Sewell’s absence, they will also likely depend more on D’Marco Jackson, who has shone in fill-in duties this year.
The Bears (11-5) will kick off against the Lions (8-8) at 4:25 p.m. ET on January 4.
Injuries Have Tested Bears at Linebacker All Season
The Bears have lost a starter with Sewell landing on IR, but at least they have a strong idea of what their depth linebacker can bring to the table after months of injuries.
Jackson has been one of the more pleasant surprises for the Bears in 2025, tallying 42 total tackles, one sack, one interception and one fumble recovery on a career-high 249 defensive snaps while filling in for some of their injured starters. He also won NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his standout play against Cleveland in Week 15’s win.
Additionally, veteran Amen Ogbongbemiga — whom they extended in the offseason as a core special-teams player — has also logged quality snaps as an injury-relief linebacker.
The Bears will naturally hope that Edmunds and Edwards remain in good health for the duration of their postseason, but it helps knowing that Jackson and Ogbongbemiga are capable enough to play defense when deciding how to fill out Sewell’s empty role.
Bears Also Activate Injured TE in Pair of Roster Moves
The Bears cleared a spot on their 53-man roster when they placed Sewell on IR and did not immediately act to fill it, but they did make an activation for their practice squad.
The Bears also activated tight end Nikola Kalinic — not to be confused with the Serbian basketball player — from the practice squad/injured reserve list, welcoming him back into their tight end room for the first time since he landed on IR on November 24.
Kalinic signed with the Bears’ practice squad shortly after August’s 53-man roster cuts and earned elevation to the active roster for Week 12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. While he is unlikely to contribute meaningful snaps for the Bears down the stretch, his return does give them another layer of depth behind Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet.
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