The Chicago Bears came within inches of the NFC Championship Game in Ben Johnson’s first year at the helm, falling in a heartbreaker to the Rams in overtime. But despite the rapid turnaround and a defense that led the league in takeaways (33), there’s a clear area of concern heading into the offseason: the linebacker corps.
Let’s call it what it was - Chicago’s linebackers were banged up and underwhelming all season. Injuries piled up, consistency was hard to find, and the group never quite found its rhythm. That lack of stability forced the Bears to dip into their depth chart, and one of the names that surfaced was rookie Ruben Hyppolite II, a fourth-round pick who got his shot sooner than expected.
Now, Hyppolite’s rookie season didn’t move the needle much. He played just 31 defensive snaps and recorded six total tackles - not exactly the type of production that forces a coaching staff to take notice.
And when you factor in that he struggled in his lone start (Week 12 vs. Pittsburgh) and was a healthy scratch in Week 15, it’s fair to say he’s still firmly in developmental territory.
But here’s where things get interesting: the Bears’ linebacker room is in flux. Injuries have turned what should be a position of strength into a question mark heading into 2026.
Noah Sewell, who’s dealt with his share of injury setbacks in his young career, tore his ACL in Week 17 against San Francisco. That’s a tough blow for a player who was already trying to establish himself, and it clouds his future in Chicago.
T.J. Edwards didn’t fare much better - a lower leg injury landed him on injured reserve after just 10 games.
That leaves a thin group, and potentially some opportunity for a player like Hyppolite if he can take a step forward.
One bright spot amid the chaos was D’Marco Jackson. The linebacker made the most of his chances, delivering his best game of the season against the Browns, where he went 7-for-7 on tackle attempts and allowed just three yards on five targets in coverage.
He also racked up a season-high 15 tackles in a gritty win over the Steelers on November 23. Jackson’s emergence was timely, especially with Tremaine Edmunds limited to 13 games after suffering a groin injury in Week 11.
Jackson is set to hit free agency, and the Bears will need to make a decision on whether he’s part of the long-term plan. Edmunds, meanwhile, has a potential out in his contract this offseason. If the Bears decide to move on, they could free up around $15 million in cap space - a significant chunk that could be reallocated elsewhere.
That’s why, despite a rocky rookie campaign, Ruben Hyppolite II isn’t out of the picture just yet. The Bears are staring down a linebacker reset, and that opens the door - even if just slightly - for a young player to carve out a role. Hyppolite hasn’t shown enough to be penciled in for anything more than a roster spot at this point, but with a full offseason ahead, the opportunity is there if he can develop and earn the trust of the coaching staff.
Chicago’s defense has the ball-hawking pedigree to be elite, but if they want to take the next step in 2026, the linebacker room needs to be addressed - whether through free agency, the draft, or internal development. For now, the Bears have decisions to make, and Ruben Hyppolite II is one of the many question marks they’ll need to evaluate closely.