One of the concerns on the minds of Chicago Bears fans heading into the playoffs was the team’s inconsistent pass rush.
The Bears finished the regular season with 35 sacks, ranking 24th in the league. The only other playoff teams with fewer sacks than Chicago were the Jacksonville Jaguars (32, ranked 27th) and the San Francisco 49ers (20, ranked 32nd).
With that being said, ahead of the Bears’ Divisional Round game against the Los Angeles Rams, fans were hoping that the team would consider bringing back defensive end Darrell Taylor. Taylor was waived earlier this week by the Houston Texans and cleared waivers, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston.
Taylor spent last season with the Bears, where he recorded 13 quarterback pressures, nine quarterback hits, three tackles for loss, and three sacks across 16 games. So the Bears are familiar with the veteran, adding to the fuel behind a potential reunion.
Unfortunately, the Bears squandered their chance at a possible reunion with Taylor, as the New England Patriots signed the veteran defensive end to their practice squad, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
Bears Miss Perfect Opportunity for Darrell Taylor Reunion in Playoffs
Taylor didn’t do much with the Texans this season, playing in four games as he was placed on injured reserve in November with an ankle injury.
That said, he might’ve been an upgrade over a Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, who has been a non-factor for all intents and purposes since he was acquired ahead of the deadline. Tryon-Shoyinka has 13 combined tackles, three quarterback pressures, and a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit in eight games.
Tryon-Shoyinka has missed the Bears’ last two games due to a concussion. Looking back at last week’s game against Green Bay, the Bears’ pass rush did a little bit of something against Packers quarterback Jordan Love. They only had one sack, courtesy of Austin Booker, who has been good in the second half of the season, but also accumulated eight quarterback hits.
Although that effort was good enough to escape with a win over the Packers, the pass rush will need to be 10 times better against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. Stafford is considered the Super Bowl MVP favorite (+420 on FanDuel Sportsbook) after putting together a phenomenal 2025 season. If he gets time in the pocket with weapons Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, it will be a long game for the Bears’ secondary.
Therefore, it will be imperative that the Bears’ pass rush, whether that’s Montez Sweat, Booker, or Dominique Robinson, can make Stafford uncomfortable to create a negative play or, better yet, a takeaway.
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