Bears LB Nephi Sewell Carted Off With Leg Injury vs. Bengals
Sewell went down after a first-half tackle, his second straight game leaving early. His practice-squad status makes him a non-factor for fantasy — but here's what matters.
Deep Bengals RB with 6 PPR points in 2025 — bench-stash territory only.
- Sewell hurt right leg tackling Brooks after 10-yd gain
- Injury came with 36 seconds left in the half
- Left last Saturday vs. Browns with a concussion
- Signed to Bears practice squad after Saints cut him
- Brooks ranks #462 overall (#98 RB) in our model
Bears linebacker Nephi Sewell was carted off the field in Chicago's game against the Bengals after hurting his right leg while wrapping up running back Tahj Brooks. The play went down with 36 seconds left before halftime, immediately after Brooks picked up 10 yards. It's the second consecutive game Sewell has left early — he exited last Saturday's contest against the Browns with a concussion after a hit on a kickoff.
The scene turned emotional quickly. Sewell's brother Noah, also a Bears linebacker currently parked on the active/PUP list as he recovers from an Achilles tear, was among those checking in on Nephi before he was taken off. Two Sewells, two rough recoveries, one very long August.
Sewell's path here is worth a beat of context. He spent his first four NFL seasons with the Saints, logging 30 games before New Orleans released him at the end of last season. Chicago scooped him up on the practice squad, which is exactly why this news barely moves the fantasy needle — practice-squad depth linebackers aren't rostered anywhere that isn't an IDP dynasty league run by masochists.
The Fantasy Angle That Actually Matters
The name to watch on this play isn't Sewell — it's the guy who was being tackled. Tahj Brooks is buried deep in the Bengals' backfield and reflects it in the numbers: he checks in at #462 overall in our rankings, and just #98 among running backs. His 2025 actuals (16 games) are threadbare — 45 rushing yards, no scores, one catch for nine yards, which shakes out to a whopping 6 PPR points on the season.
So the injury itself is a football story, not a fantasy one. Nobody's shuffling a lineup because a practice-squad linebacker got carted off in August. The relevance is indirect: preseason snaps for a back like Brooks tell you where Cincinnati's depth chart stands, and right now it tells you he's a name to file away, not to draft.
Bottom line: leave Sewell where he belongs — off your radar unless you're in a very deep IDP format, and even then, wait for a diagnosis before doing anything. Brooks is a pure watch-list stash; if injuries thin out the Bengals' backfield, revisit, but there's zero reason to burn a roster spot on 6 points of 2025 production today.
