Chicago Bears training camp is just around the corner, which means it’s time to start looking ahead at the roster the team is bringing to Lake Forest.
We’re unveiling our Bears 2025 training camp position previews, where we’re breaking down every player by position and examining the biggest question facing the group.
Up next on defense are the linebackers, a group that is returning starters TJ Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds, who are each entering their third season with the team. There is competition at the strongside position involving rookie Ruben Hyppolite II and Noah Sewell, which will play out over the course of the next six weeks.
Let’s take a look at Chicago’s linebackers heading into training camp:
TJ Edwards
Two years ago, general manager Ryan Poles made one of his best free agent acquisitions when he signed TJ Edwards to a three-year deal away from the Philadelphia Eagles. He didn’t want Edwards to hit free agency again next offseason. The Bears signed the 28-year-old linebacker to a two-year extension after he proved to be a reliable defender in Matt Eberflus’ system. Now there are high hopes he can do the same in Dennis Allen’s defense—it just may not be at weak-side linebacker. Edwards wasn’t quite as impactful in 2024 as he was in 2023, despite having an incredible start with 15 tackles in Week 1, but he still produced 129 total tackles and four sacks and finished with a career high of 12 tackles for loss while playing in all 17 games for the third year in a row.
Tremaine Edmunds
When Tremaine Edmunds signed his four-year, $72 million deal back in 2023, it was the largest contract of the Poles era at the time. Two years later, Edmunds is still hanging around, but his play took a noticeable dip last year. Edmunds played in all 17 games but had fewer tackles (110), tackles for loss (three), and interceptions (one) compared to 2023. The box score doesn’t come close to telling the full story, though. Edmunds looked like a deer in the headlights numerous times during the season, often being out of position on run and pass plays. There’s a chance Edmunds sees time at a different position other than middle linebacker, and perhaps that will benefit him. With no guaranteed salary in 2026, this is a pivotal year for the 27-year-old if he wants to stick around in Chicago.
Ruben Hyppolite II
The Bears made a surprising pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft when they selected Ruben Hyppolite II out of Maryland. Not many saw the Bears taking a linebacker with one of their early Day 3 picks, and especially someone like Hyppolite, who was viewed as an undrafted free agent candidate prior to the draft. But the Bears saw something in the young man that they couldn’t pass up. Hyppolite is a dynamic athlete who has blazing speed for someone at the position. He needs to learn the technique, but his early returns are promising—at least in the eyes of the coaching staff. Ben Johnson singled Hyppolite out as someone who stood out, and he’s in the running to be named the starting strongside linebacker when the season begins. We’ll see what the hype is all about with Hyppolite when camp begins.
Noah Sewell
Prior to the Hyppolite selection, all eyes were on Noah Sewell as the leading candidate to start at the strongside linebacker position with the departure of Jack Sanborn. Sewell has been plagued by injuries during his first two years as a pro. He’s played in 22 out of a possible 34 games, mainly on special teams. While Sewell came into the league with promise following a stellar career at Oregon, he may lose out on another starting job. The competition between him and Hyppolite will be one to watch.
Amen Ogbongbemiga
Last offseason, the Bears brought in Amen Ogbongbemiga after he spent three years with the Los Angeles Chargers to be a core special teams player, and that is exactly what he did. Ogbongbemiga totaled 13 tackles while primarily playing special teams, though he did manage to get a sack in garbage time against Mac Jones and the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. His value comes on special teams, though, where Ogbongbemiga became a trusted player for special teams coordinator Richard Hightower and re-signed on a one-year deal earlier this offseason.
Carl Jones
The Bears signed Carl Jones as an undrafted free agent last year, and he spent the majority of the season on the practice squad. He played in one game as an injury replacement on special teams and did not record a statistic. Jones is likely another candidate for the practice squad this year.
Swayze Bozeman
Another undrafted free agent, Swayze Bozeman, spent the 2024 season with the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad. It wasn’t until late in the year that he was called up to the active roster and played in three regular season games. He recorded three tackles while playing mostly special teams. Bozeman appeared in all three playoff games on special teams, recording three tackles throughout the postseason. Given how the Chiefs relied on him for pivotal snaps in the biggest games, he could wind up making the roster at the end of the summer with the Bears.
Power Echols
The final undrafted free agent of the group, Power Echols, signed with the Bears following this year’s draft after four years at North Carolina. He totaled 76 tackles and two interceptions last season. While he’s another candidate for the practice squad, seeing him make plays in camp will be worth it if only for the many puns that can be used with his name.
Big question: Where will Edwards and Edmunds line up?
For the last two years, the Bears have deployed Edmunds at middle linebacker and Edwards at weakside linebacker. It seemed to make sense. Edmunds’ lateral playmaking ability seemed to fit as a middle linebacker, while Edwards could crash down on ball carriers and still stick with route runners on the weak side. That could be changing, though.
Allen has said that Edwards could be moved to the middle position while Edmunds kicks outside. Both players will see looks at the MIKE spot, and given Edmunds’ struggles last year, Edwards could come out as the top option. He has played the middle linebacker spot before and had success there. It may take some time to sort out, and fortunately these two have built enough chemistry together to work out any kinks. But change could be coming to this defense, starting with the linebackers.
