Larry Mayer

After a one-year hiatus in Dallas, linebacker Jack Sanborn is thrilled to return for a second stint with his hometown team.

The Lake Zurich native signed a one-year contract with the Bears on Wednesday after spending the 2025 season with the Cowboys.

"I love it here in Chicago and being part of what [coach] Ben Johnson and [defensive coordinator] Dennis Allen have been building here and the success that they've had," Sanborn told ChicagoBears.com. "It's something I couldn't pass up, and I'm grateful that I'm able to come back here and help in any way I can."

Sanborn entered the NFL in 2022 with the Bears as an undrafted free agent from Wisconsin and played his first three pro seasons in Chicago. He appeared in 48 games with 19 starts, recording 164 tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks, one interception, five pass breakups and one fumble recovery.

As a rookie, Sanborn excelled after becoming a starter following the midseason trade of Roquan Smith to the Ravens. Before sustaining a season-ending ankle injury in a Week 15 loss to the Eagles, Sanborn made six consecutive starts and compiled 59 tackles, 5.0 tackles-for-loss, 2.0 sacks and one fumble recovery.

The 6-2, 234-pounder was named the rookie recipient of the prestigious Brian Piccolo Award, which is presented to a rookie and veteran who best exemplify the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor of Brian Piccolo, a Bears running back who died from embryonal cell carcinoma on June 16, 1970, at the age of 26.

Sanborn had another productive season in 2023, playing in all 17 games with 10 starts and registering 59 tackles, seven tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sack and one interception. He also ranked third on the Bears with six special-teams tackles. He did not play as much on defense in 2024 but still appeared in all 17 games.

The Wisconsin product signed with the Cowboys last year, but he played in only six games with five starts before suffering a season-ending groin injury.

In returning to the Bears, Sanborn is eager to join an Allen defense that the linebacker lauds for its aggressiveness and "the multiple looks that they show."

"It keeps offenses on their toes and at the same time sticks to the defensive philosophy as a whole and what they do best," Sanborn said.