The Chicago Bears have shut down one of their linebackers with a season-ending injury just days before the NFL deadline for them to make 53-man roster cuts.
According to the team’s official transaction wire for August 25, the Bears placed backup linebacker Nephi Sewell on the injured reserve list on Tuesday after carting him off the field with an apparent right leg injury in their preseason loss to Cincinnati days earlier.
Nephi Sewell — a brother of Bears linebacker Noah Sewell — had spent the better part of the last eight months competing for a rotational role in Chicago’s linebacker rotation for the 2026 season. Recent injuries, however, have derailed his efforts to make the team.
Sewell exited early from the Bears’ preseason-opening win over the Cleveland Browns after sustaining a blow to the head on a kickoff that left him with a concussion. While he cleared the league’s concussion protocol in time to suit up for their second preseason game against the Bengals, he injured his leg in the second quarter and was carted off.
Now, Sewell will spend the rest of the 2026 season on injured reserve unless the team chooses to release him from IR with an injury settlement at some point later this year.
The Bears also signed linebacker Antonio Grier Jr. — a 2026 UFL champion — to take Sewell’s place on their 90-man camp roster in a pair of corresponding roster moves.
Antonio Grier Arrives Late to Stacked LB Competition
With Grier’s signing, the Bears now have another linebacker available to handle reps for them in their preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans on Saturday, August 29. His chances of making their 53-man roster this late in the game are slim to none, though.
Grier won a UFL championship with the Louisville Kings in June, recording 15 tackles, three pass breakups and a 47-yard interception return for a touchdown over his seven regular-season appearances for them. He also added four more tackles in the playoffs.
Grier has virtually zero defensive experience in the NFL, though, despite appearing in seven games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024 as an undrafted rookie. He logged 105 special teams snaps for the Buccaneers but played only two total defensive snaps.
Even if Grier had come to Chicago with meaningful league experience, though, the team has a stacked competition at the linebacker position. Veterans such as Devin Bush, T.J. Edwards and D’Marco Jackson have been solid locks to make the team from the jump, leaving the rest of the position group to battle it out for two (potentially three) spots.
Grier should have a chance to log some snaps against the Titans, but expect the Bears to have their eyes fixed more on Jack Sanborn, Keyshaun Elliott and Ruben Hyppolite II.
Bears Activate 2 More From PUP List Before Roster Cuts
Speaking of Elliott, the Bears also announced good news Tuesday regarding their fifth-round rookie linebacker after not having him available for most of camp due to injury.
The Bears officially activated Elliott and safety Elijah Hicks from the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list in Tuesday’s series of roster moves, opening the door for the two of them to participate in practice for the first time in this year’s training camp.
Elliott has some catching up to do with the Bears after missing OTAs, minicamp and the majority of camp with a back injury, but the door is open for him to potentially play in their preseason finale against the Titans on Saturday if they feel he is ready for live reps.
Either way, Elliott’s return also strongly suggests another linebacker spot on the Bears’ 53-man roster is spoken for, crunching the depth competition even tighter for the final week of camp. Sanborn and Hyppolite appear to have a distinct lead over the rest of the field, but Tony Fields II — a former UFL standout — has impressed some in his pursuit.
The Bears must reduce to the 53-man roster limit before 6 p.m. ET on August 30.
Bears Shut Down LB With Season-Ending Injury Days Before Deadline