The Chicago Bears went into the offseason needing help at edge rusher, and instead, there were a whole lot of crickets. A few rumors of a blockbuster trade for Maxx Crosby went unfulfilled, and the Bears didn’t take a pass rusher during the draft, making it appear that Austin Booker scored a small victory heading into his third season with the team.
But just as it looked like Booker would have a chance at a sizable role, Bears general manager Ryan Poles confirmed that Shemar Turner would be moving from defensive tackle to edge rusher ahead of the 2026 season.
“At the defensive line position, Book’s coming along with [Dayo Odeyingbo, Montez Sweat and] Shemar,” Poles said after the second day of the draft, via the team's official YouTube channel. “We feel good about those guys. …[I] like what that group is and what they’re becoming, and we feel like there is some developmental upside, and like I said yesterday, with Year 2 in the system, we should be able to take that next step.”
Putting Turner in a position to succeed as a former second-round pick makes sense. But it could, and should, light a fire under Booker, who will need to have a strong effort this offseason to avoid getting lost in the shuffle.
Austin Booker Should Be Motivated By Bears' Offseason Decisions
The Bears’ pass rush was one thing that could have been better as they claimed their first division title since 2018. Last season, Chicago tied for 22nd in the NFL with 35 sacks and a 21.1 percent pressure rate, according to Pro Football Reference, and injuries were a key part of the equation as Odeyingbo and Turner both suffered season-ending injuries.
Booker likely expected Odeyingbo to come back as he entered the second year of a three-year, $48 million contract. That will not change after the Bears didn’t add an edge rusher in the draft. But Turner's change in position had to be unexpected after spending last season at defensive tackle.
Turner’s rookie season didn’t go as planned, as he suffered an ankle injury that sidelined him during training camp, delaying his debut until a Week 3 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Perhaps as a result of the missed time, when he hit the field, he wasn’t productive, failing to record a pressure in 34 pass-rushing snaps and being moved to defensive end for a Week 6 win over the Washington Commanders. In three weeks on the edge, Turner still couldn’t find success before his season ended when he suffered a torn ACL in a Week 8 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Despite the lack of production, Poles expressed faith that Turner would make an impact in his second year, and the full cast in the edge rusher room puts Booker in the spotlight. The former fifth-round pick was one of the Bears’ biggest standouts, recording seven pressures and three sacks during the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins last summer, then followed it up with two pressures in 14 snaps before suffering a knee injury against the Buffalo Bills.
That injury required surgery, landing Booker on injured reserve. After returning in a Week 9 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, he closed the season recording 29 pressures and 4.5 sacks in 10 games, adding five pressures and a sack in a wild-card round win over the Green Bay Packers.
Booker showed promise at times, but he also didn’t prove he’s ready for a bigger role opposite Sweat. With Odeyingbo returning and Turner in the mix, Booker will need to make another jump to maintain his snap count, and could ultimately slide to the No. 4 edge rusher if things don’t go his way.
A roster spot is likely regardless. But if he doesn’t have a strong offseason, Booker could be feeling the heat when the 2026 season begins.
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