The Chicago Bears have surprisingly not signed any pass rushers through the first two waves of free agency. Instead, Bears general manager Ryan Poles has made it a point to add to the interior defensive line, signing Neville Gallimore, Kentavious Street, and James Lynch.
It’s hard to blame the Bears for taking that route, given Grady Jarrett’s up-and-down first year in the Windy City, and the defense as a whole struggling to stop the run last season (allowing 134.5 yards per game). That said, Chicago’s pass rush could use a boost as well.
The Bears recorded 35 sacks, which ranked 24th in the NFL.
And it's not like there aren’t free agency options still available for the Bears, such as Joey Bosa and Jadeveon Clowney, who had solid 2025 seasons. However, Chicago must not believe those vets are the answer right now, which could mean a larger role incoming for Austin Booker.
Bears Quietly Putting Their Eggs into Austin Booker’s Basket This Offseason
The former fifth-round pick didn’t make his 2025 debut until Week 9, thanks to a knee injury he sustained in the preseason. That injury came at the worst time for Booker, who had four sacks in the preseason.
That being said, Booker picked up where he left off against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9, as he had two combined tackles, a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit, and a sack. His return came at the perfect time for the Bears’ defense, which lost Shemar Turner and Dayo Odeyingbo.
The second-year defensive end finished the 2025 regular season on a strong note, totaling 12 QB hits, five tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. His 4.5 sacks were ranked third on the team behind Sweat (10) and Gervon Dexter (6). If Booker played in all 17 games, he could have had close to eight sacks.Â
Booker’s resurgent play continued into the playoffs, where he recorded nine combined tackles, two QB hits, a tackle for loss, and a sack. With Booker only going into his third year, Chicago actually might have a potential quality sidekick for Sweat.
Nothing Is Guaranteed
That being said, it’s not completely set in stone for Sweat. Chicago could look to add a pass rusher or two in the 2026 NFL draft, which wouldn’t be the worst philosophy for depth, providing production at an affordable cost.
And then there’s the return of Odeyingbo, who suffered a torn Achilles in Booker’s return to the field. Before going down with the season-ending leg injury, Odeyingbo wasn’t playing up to the three-year, $48 million contract (four QB hits, two tackles for loss, and a sack) that Chicago gave him.
The hope is that Odeyingbo can be a factor on this defensive line in 2026, but his return should not immediately push Booker aside if the latter is performing better. Also, we can’t forget about Turner, who got some snaps off the edge before he went down with an injury.
Nonetheless, the next several weeks should be interesting for the Bears’ brass, as they will put the finishing touches on their 90-man roster with FA and the NFL draft.