The Chicago Bears made a key decision about the future of linebacker Jack Sanborn on Tuesday as they prepare for NFL free agency to start next week. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Bears have decided not to tender Sanborn as a restricted free agent and will allow him to enter unrestricted free agency when the new league year officially begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 12. Following the decision, Sanborn took to social media to not only confirm the news but also share a heartfelt goodbye with the Bears fan base. Chicago Bears linebacker Jack Sanborn (57). Jonathan Hui/Imagn Images Jonathan Hui/Imagn Images “Bears fans, thank you for supporting me over the years,” Sanborn wrote Tuesday on X. “I am grateful that I was a part of such a wonderful organization with the best fans in the world! In my heart, I will always be a Bear.” Sanborn spent the past two years as the Bears’ starting strongside linebacker and recorded 164 total tackles with 14 for a loss and 4.5 sacks over his three seasons in Chicago. He became a fan-favorite in 2022 when he won a roster spot as an undrafted rookie, later making six starts at middle linebacker. The Bears could have used a right-of-first-refusal tender on Sanborn to retain him for the 2025 season, but Over the Cap lists the price on the tender at $3.263 million – which is more than he made in his first three years combined. Alternatively, the Bears could have also attempted to sign Sanborn to a new contract of their own design (presumably with less money involved), but Sanborn’s farewell indicates the team will not do that before free agency. Without Sanborn, the Bears may seek out another linebacker in free agency or the draft. They return starters Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards as well as 2023 fifth-round pick Noah Sewell, but they traditionally prefer to have five. The Bears also have a new defensive coordinator in Dennis Allen, who may have different ideas about which of their returning personnel fit his scheme.
