The latest batch of injuries out of the Chicago Bears' training camp forced the team to readjust and reevaluate the roster.
Bears' defensive backs Kyler Gordon and Elijah Hicks are currently on the PUP list. Starting safety Coby Bryant just hurt his knee and is gone for eight to 10 weeks.
This leaves the Bears with no choice but to bring in help from the outside. The team announced that they have signed defensive back Marlen Sewell and placed defensive lineman Jonathan Garvin on the reserve/injured list.
Bears making moves to help secondary with Marlen Sewell signing
Sewell was an undrafted free agent in the 2026 NFL Draft, first signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. After his release, the door opened for the Bears to bring him on to help with the secondary's depth.
During his five-year run with Vanderbilt, Sewell was one of the main pieces of their secondary and special teams but didn't start until his final year in 2025. He finished last season with 52 tackles, two pass deflections, two pass breakups, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a half-sack in 13 games.
This leaves the Bears with an interesting question in the secondary: how will Sewell be used? Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen already announced that Cam Lewis is moving over from nickel to safety. Allen also stated that Jaylon Jones, Josh Blackwell, and Malik Muhammad will all compete for the nickel corner spot.
In reality, Sewell probably doesn't have a strong chance of making the 53-man roster and might be seen more as a camp body. He is coming in too late trying to learn a new defense, so this should be used as an audition tape for him with other NFL teams.
The Bears get a guy who can help sustain some depth at the safety position for the time being. Sewell might get plenty of playing time during the preseason, but seeing actual time on the field in the regular season feels more than unlikely.
Read more: Bears' 53-man roster prediction after ruthless first week of training camp
This was a move the Bears needed to make, as they try to navigate the muddy waters of their banged-up secondary. More work needs to be done, but Chicago at least needs a band-aid approach to the secondary until they can figure out whether Lewis can handle his own at safety or if something else needs to change before Week 1.
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