Bears announce signing of brother of Lions' All-Pro to futures contract

Matt Sullivan

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Bears announce signing of brother of Lions' All-Pro to futures contract image

The Chicago Bears were eliminated from the NFL playoffs by the Los Angeles Rams, and now will begin to make their offseason moves.

While there's still a lot of time until free agency opens up, the Bears will be making a few signings, specifically, bringing in players on futures contracts.

Among the 14 players the Bears announced they signed to futures deals was the brother of a linebacker on the Bears and an All-Pro on the Detroit Lions.

Bears sign 2nd Sewell to roster after 2025 season

In the announcement, the Bears signed linebacker Nephi Sewell to a futures deal. The 27-year-old linebacker is staying in Chicago after signing on to the practice squad on January 13th, a little before the Bears faced the Rams in the Divisional round.

Sewell is the brother of fellow Bears linebacker Noah Sewell and is also the brother of Lions All-Pro Penei Sewell.

The Bears would surely love to have all three Sewells on their roster, but for now, they're sticking with just these two, as Nephi joins Noah on the roster on a futures deal.

More: Bears' list of 2026 NFL draft picks, free agents and cap space going into offseason

Nephi Sewell didn't play for the Bears, spending all four of his seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints.

During his Saints stint, he played in 30 games, making just one start defensively. He has one sack and 26 tackles in his NFL career.

He's been primarily a special teamer in his career, playing 266 snaps on special teams in 2023 and 105 in 2024.

Sewell was picked up by the Bears amid their major linebacker issues, and now is officially staying on the roster this offseason, as the Bears signed him to a futures deal. The brother of Noah and Penei Sewell is sticking in Chicago heading into the offseason.

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Staff Writer