The Chicago Bears drafted Noah Sewell in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft because they had him as the best player available, not because they needed a linebacker by any stretch. This is the rare case where that catches up to them because they do not have the depth to keep Sewell in his second season.
Sewell is making the decision easy for him. He has been injured through most of the summer. It is hard to knock a player because of injury, but you cannot make the club from the tub is a motto that sticks in the NFL for a reason.
Sewell has not done enough to warrant a locked-in status on the roster. Meanwhile, the depth chart at the linebacker position looks better than ever.
Noah Sewell could be falling down the Bears' linebacker depth chart.
They have Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards for their nickel defense, and Jack Sanborn would be the SAM who plays in base. The Bears signed Amen Ogbongbemiga in the offseason, mainly because he is a special teams ace. The new kickoff rules have shown why he is valued on the roster, so he is locked in.
The Bears may keep five or even six linebackers, but right now you have to wonder if Micah Baskerville is ahead of Sewell on the depth chart as well. Last year, Sewell made the roster of the rookie UDFA, but this year, Baskerville is healthy, he has shown in moments on special teams, and he just had a pick-six in the second preseason game.
If Sewell is not healthy, the team may end up putting him on the IR. However, if they think he can return at some point this season, he has to make the initial 53-man roster before they put him on the IR.