The Chicago Bears have plenty of moving parts heading into training camp, but the linebacker room may be the most overlooked of all. The left tackle and center battles will draw attention, and the defensive line will be under the microscope all summer.
The third wide receiver spot and the team’s usage of three-tight-end sets are also getting plenty of discussion. Still, linebacker is the group with the biggest shift and the least buzz.
T.J. Edwards is the name that sets the tone for the whole conversation.
He broke his fibula later in the season last year, and there’s a real chance he could miss the start of this year. Chicago put him on the Physically Unable to Perform list, though Ian Rappaport noted that Edwards is expected to be cleared to practice soon.
Even with that update, his status and how he holds up are being watched almost quietly.
Edwards is the piece of continuity in a room that has changed around him. Tremaine Edmunds is gone, and Devin Bush is the other major name to keep an eye on.
Bush arrived as a former top-ten pick, but in six NFL seasons he has only matched that draft status in one year. The Bears are paying him like they think that version of him can show up again, but his track record suggests they may have paid a premium.
That makes him one of the more important developments in camp.
D’Marco Jackson also factors into the picture after getting snaps when Edwards and Edmunds were hurt last season. Chicago extended him, and now the question is how he handles that new deal after bouncing around as an NFL journeyman.
Even more specifically, how does he fit as the third linebacker? And is he being asked to cover for Bush or Edwards if needed?
The depth chart gets even more crowded from there. Rookie Keyshaun Elliott is another player whose progress will be worth tracking throughout camp.
Then there’s Ruben Hyppolite, Jack Sanborn and Noah Sewell. Hyppolite was drafted in 2025, but with the room so deep, he may not even make the roster in 2026.
Sewell has carved out a role as a special teams ace, and the Bears just re-signed Sanborn to work in that same area. Right now, Chicago appears to value those two more than Hyppolite.
From the top of the room to the bottom, linebacker is packed with questions the Bears will have to sort through this summer.
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