3 most overrated Chicago Bears entering 2023 season

1. Jack Sanborn is not trusted by the Chicago Bears

There was a time in the middle of the season last year when Chicago Bears fans were starting to compare Jack Sanborn to Brian Urlacher. No, I am not kidding you. Even Peter Schrager of NFL Network was on-board with Sanborn being the next great Chicago Bears linebacker. The issue is that the front office and coaching staff could not disagree more.

The thought was that the Bears just needed to sign one starter next to Sanborn, and they could make it work. First, they signed TJ Edwards; fans thought that would be it. Edwards is a UDFA from Wisconsin, like Sanborn, so it was a great pairing. However, the Bears immediately doubled down with Tremaine Edmunds.

Sanborn went from locked-in starter to the starting SAM, which means playing closer to 20-30% of the snaps. That is a significant drop. It did not stop there, though. The team drafted Noah Sewell after that.

Sure, it was a day-three pick, but Sanborn was signed as a UDFA from the same front office. Draft grade-wise, they valued Sewell higher. They also may have taken Sewell because he was the best player on their board, not because they did not like Sanborn.

Still, that also speaks to the optimism they have in Sewell, and it would be hard for someone they graded so high to lose their spot. Sanborn may start out over Sewell, but that may not last at all.

Sanborn could go from a fan-favorite and someone that is expected to start to a fourth linebacker who plays special teams. Beyond that, there are no longer-term openings on the Chicago Bears. The buzz on Sanborn may have come and gone, and it may never come back.