Bears Rumors: Chicago is interested in this veteran edge rusher

Going into training camp, the Bears have a glaring hole at the edge rusher position. Ryan Poles might be looking into fixing that.

According to Peggy Kusinski of ESPN, The Bears are showing interest in signing veteran pass-rusher Justin Houston.

Houston is 34 years old and played last season with the Baltimore Ravens. He finished with 9.5 sacks.

The Chicago Bears would be a great fit for a pass rusher like Justin Houston.

Houston was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 3rd round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He started producing high sack numbers right away. In 2012 he finished with 10, in 2013 he finished with 11, and in 2014 he finished with 22.

He ended up playing four more seasons in Kansas City from 2015-2018. In that span, he put up 30 total sacks.

Houston also spent two seasons with the Colts from 2019 to 2020 and finished with 19 total sacks.

Houston is familiar with Matt Eberflus’ defense when the two spent time together with the Colts. Last season, the Bears finished with only 20 sacks. Safety Jaquan Brisker led the team with 4.5 which is a really low total for a team leader.

If the Bears want to be competitive, they need to get to the quarterback more often. They added Demarcus Walker in free agency who finished with 7 last season.

Signing a veteran edge rusher would be a much-needed addition for the upcoming season. If the Bears bring in a guy like Houston, it means Ryan Poles thinks this team can succeed in 2023.

While Houstons’ older age may be a red flag for people, it could be a huge benefit. He can be a great mentor for guys like Trevis Gipson and Dominique Robinson.

However, it would make sense for the Bears to not bring anyone in. This is still a young team, and Ryan Poles may want to see what he’s got for the future.

Bears fans are chomping at the bit for a pass rusher. Training camp begins this week but the Bears still have time when it comes to signing Houston. The 12-year veteran can come in and not skip a beat.