The Chicago Bears are bringing back a familiar face. The team announced that they signed linebacker Jack Sanborn, a Lake Zurich native, to a one-year deal Wednesday.

Sanborn rejoins the Bears after spending the first three years of his career with Chicago, starting in 2022. He followed former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus to Dallas last season, as Eberflus became the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator.

But Sanborn didn’t make much of an impact during his lone season with the Cowboys. He only appeared in six games last year and was placed on injured reserve in November due to a groin injury.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles originally signed Sanborn out of Wisconsin as an undrafted free agent. Sanborn made an impact as a starter even though the Bears played a lot of nickel under Eberflus. During his first two seasons, he started in 16 of the 31 games he appeared in. He took more of a reserved role in 2024, starting three games but appearing in all 17 games.

Sanborn finished with 164 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, six quarterback hits and 4.5 sacks during his three seasons with the Bears. He also made an impact as a special teamer.

The return comes as the Bears try to build depth in their linebacker room. Chicago signed Devin Bush after it released Tremaine Edmunds before the new NFL league year. The Bears also re-signed D’Marco Jackson to a two-year deal, while T.J. Edwards will be back for his third season with the team.

Sanborn could compete with Jackson for snaps. They’ll likely compete for a spot as Noah Sewell recovers from an Achilles injury he suffered toward the end of last season.