The Chicago Bears are cemented as one of the biggest winners of the offseason already, having finally landed someone who appears to be a competent head coach in Ben Johnson after years of mediocrity.
This is an organization that suddenly looks like it can compete for a playoff spot with quarterback Caleb Williams actively developing, yet there are still some obvious roster holes after some key mistakes by general manager Ryan Poles.
Chicago ranked a paltry 30th in opponent yards per play (5.9) despite investing heavily in the defense. That said, there's a strong foundation, and one big free agency signing could push the unit over the top into an elite group.
NEWS: Former #Patriots veteran star pass rusher Matthew Judon is still a free agent.
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) April 1, 2025
Judon, is 32 years old, and a 4x Pro Bowler in his career.@man_dammn had 12.5 sacks in 2021 and 15.5 sacks in 2022, and was one of the leagues premier pass rushers. pic.twitter.com/TvwF5NgiW2
Bears Must Sign EDGE Matthew Judon to Help Solve Defense
At 32 years old, Matthew Judon's best days are likely behind him. That said, he's only two years removed from recording 15.5 sacks and a top-10 finish in the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year race, so he's still a valuable player.
Alongside Montez Sweat, Judon could regain the form that made him a premier pass rusher in the league. He toiled away on the porous Atlanta Falcons last year, yet his track record speaks for itself. A four-time Pro Bowler, Judon is the exact kind of player that Chicago needs to target.
In order to properly support Williams and the developing offense, the Bears need to invest in the defense. We've seen the Kansas City Chiefs complement Patrick Mahomes with an elite defense to obviously great success, and Poles comes from that brain trust. He knows the advantage of having a great complementary unit, making this type of signing more likely than fans could expect.
Judon ranked just 194th out of 211 qualified edge rushers at Pro Football Focus in 2024, which is terrible. However, we've seen numerous examples of guys needing a change of scenery to regain their previous form, and there's a strong argument to be made that's the case here. Schemes matter, and Judon could be signed at a discount based on the struggles he suffered through last year.
At the very least, Judon represents a high-upside, low-cost target that the Bears need to consider.