With Roquan Smith gone, Bears likely to give Lake Zurich native Jack Sanborn an extended look

When Jack Sanborn was a senior at Lake Zurich High School, the Bears drafted a linebacker out of Georgia by the name of Roquan Smith.

A Bears fan all his life, Sanborn kept an eye on Smith while playing collegiality at Wisconsin from 2018-21.

Then, as fate would have it, Sanborn was signed by the Bears as a free agent last spring and was suddenly getting tips from the All Pro linebacker.

Then Sanborn stood out during training camp and in the preseason.

And suddenly -- boom! -- he was Smith’s teammate when final cuts were announced in early September.

Now in the aftermath of GM Ryan Poles trading Smith to Baltimore, Sanborn will likely see a big uptick in playing time when the Bears host the Dolphins on Sunday.

“Right off the bat, it’s a holy-(expletive) moment,” Sanborn said. “’Geez, Roquan’s gone.’ ... He was such a big part of this place. He was a great player, but also a great guy. (It was) a lot of fun to be around him the last few months.

“That’s the first reaction you have. Then it’s, OK, where do we go from here? How do we improve? How do we keep going?”

It won’t be easy, but everyone associated with the Bears believes Sanborn can make a difference.

“Since his first practice I noticed him,” said sixth-year defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad. “I always told him, ‘Keep working hard. Keep going hard.’

“During preseason he made a lot of plays and it (showed) you that his preparation is key. He’s put in a lot of work and he’s ready for this stage.”

Sanborn has mostly played on punt and kickoff coverage teams thus far, although he did see 13 snaps on defense Sunday against the Cowboys.

Defensive coordinator Alan Williams is likely leaning on putting Nicholas Morrow in Smith’s old weakside LB spot, meaning Sanborn would play in the middle.

It would be a big ask for the undrafted rookie, but he’s not about to shy away from the challenge.

“I believe I’m a smart player and I understand what the goal of the defense is -- where I’m supposed to be, doing my job,” Sanborn said. “Once that’s good, try and do some more.

“I’m not going to do anything crazy. I’m going to try and be myself.”

Even with Smith in the lineup last Sunday, the Bears allowed 49 points and 442 yards to the Cowboys.

Now they need to deal with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The dynamic WRs have has combined for 1,688 yards, which is almost 500 more than Bears QB Justin Fields has thrown for.

Tight end Mike Gesicki (21 catches for 235 yards) could be an issue as well.

It will be interesting to see how much playing time Sanborn receives, especially with veterans Joe Thomas and the recently acquired A.J. Klein in tow. Remember that Sanborn is also needed on special teams.

Still, Williams is intrigued to see what the rookie can bring.

“He plays hard, he plays physical,” Williams said. “Back when he got a chance to play in the preseason, he did turn the football over. So I would say, what’s there not to like about Sanborn?

“He just needs a chance to get on the field and perform.”

Sanborn seems ready for that chance. Sanborn was asked Thursday if he’s excited for this opportunity.

After a brief pause, he basically said, no. He’s just keeping a level head and staying calm.

It was an impressive answer. His wisdom also came across seconds earlier when talking about what it takes to play -- and stick -- in the NFL.

“You’ve got to come in every day and be a professional,” Sanborn said. “That’s what it’s about. It’s different than college. It’s different than high school. There’s more to it. “There’s more expectations. You’re doing it for not only yourself, but a lot more people -- everyone that works here, and (you’re) doing it for Chicago.

“So a lot more goes into it. It’s definitely bigger, but it’s still football.”

https://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20221103/with-smith-gone-bears-likely-to-give-lake-zurich-native-sanborn-an-extended-look-