One of the most talked-about storylines surrounding the Chicago Bears this offseason has been their need to add a pass rusher to their defensive line. The hope was that the Bears would have accomplished such a feat in free agency with names like Jaelan Phillips and Trey Hendrickson on the open market.
If free agency didn’t pan out, the next hope for the Bears was possibly making a trade for star edge rusher Maxx Crosby. But that didn’t happen either. However, for a guy like Austin Booker, it likely gave him some wind under his sails that Chicago hasn’t made a splash for a pass rusher yet this offseason. Booker showed a lot of promise last season after missing the first eight weeks due to a knee injury.
But Booker isn’t out of the woods yet. The 2026 draft is later this month, where the Bears could add a pass rusher. Or Chicago could re-enter the trade market and go after Kayvon Thibodeaux. Thibodeaux isn’t on the block, but with Dexter Lawrence reportedly requesting a trade out of New York earlier this week. Giants head coach John Harbaugh isn’t closing the door on any potential deals.
“Everybody is tradable, " Harbaugh said, via Connor Hughes of SNY.tv. "The business part of it is the business part of it.”
Bears Must Try to Resist Kayvon Thibodeaux Temptation with Austin Booker's Emergence
The 25-year-old Thibodeaux is entering the last year of his rookie deal in New York, and one could make the case that he’s better suited to be elsewhere with the Giants having Brian Burns and Abdul Carter.
Despite being the fifth overall pick in the 2022 draft, Thibodeaux’s production has left much to be desired, with 23.5 total sacks in 53 career games. Last season, he had a career-low 2.5 sacks, along with nine quarterback hits and five tackles for loss. Thibodeaux was limited to 10 games in 2025 due to a shoulder injury that ultimately placed him on injured reserve.
Thibodeaux has a $14.7 million cap hit this upcoming season, which is a nice chunk of change for a Bears team that has only $243,078 in cap space. This means the Bears would have to move some money around and part ways with Dayo Odeyingbo, along with a third-round pick, let’s say.
Would Thibodeaux move the needle that much more over Booker? It’s tough to say. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears beat writer mentioned in his latest mailbag that the team is optimistic about Booker’s growth heading into his third season.
"“For starters, Booker had 5½ sacks over the 12 games (10 regular-season, two playoff), and I think Sweat is more capable when it comes to setting the edge and playing the run. I don’t think folks are necessarily sleeping on Booker. My feeling is the team is optimistic he can take a step forward in his third season and emerge as a more consistent pass rusher. He’s a hard worker, he’s coachable and he plays with a high motor. He’s everything coaches want in that regard.”"Brad Biggs
If Booker plays as he did during that 10-game stretch last season (4.5 sacks, 12 QB hits, and five tackles for loss), then the Bears might have an intriguing starting option who will still be 23 when the season starts.
Now, could the Bears still make a trade for Thibodeaux to provide more depth and competition for the younger Booker? Yes, they absolutely could. However, if Chicago is truly intrigued by Booker’s upside, they might be better off keeping their pick and drafting a rookie pass rusher later this month.