After what the Chicago Bears achieved during head coach Ben Johnson's first year on the job, the future is exciting in the Windy City. With the NFL offseason here and the attention turned to the 2026 season, now is a good time to look back on some of the Bears' standout performers, including Austin Booker, who deserves some extra love.
Getting more juice along the defensive line will be a priority for the Bears, but Booker is one of the bright spots for this group.
Austin Booker’s Arrow Is Trending Up for Bears
Booker's sophomore season started on the wrong foot, as he suffered a knee injury in the second preseason game. That sidelined him until November, halting his second campaign. Before going down, he seemed poised for a big season, with Booker logging eight tackles and four sacks in two preseason games.
When returning in Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals, he made his presence felt immediately, logging a strip sack of quarterback Joe Flacco. Despite playing in just 10 games for the Bears, Booker ranked third on the team in sacks (4.5). In addition, he was able to create pressure in the backfield. Booker had 29 total pressures, 16 QB hurries, and eight QB hits.
From Year 1 to Year 2, Booker's production increased, and fans should expect that number to rise again.
2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|
Sacks: 2 | Sacks: 4.5 |
Total Pressures: 10 | Total Pressures: 29 |
Hurries: 5 | Hurries: 16 |
QB Hits: 3 | QB Hits: 8 |
Booker made clear leaps from his first to second year, making him that more interesting heading into the offseason. With another year under his belt and being in an NFL program for his third year, there's a chance that he takes an even bigger jump in 2026.
Booker is only 23 years old and still raw. He only played two years of college football and needs room to grow his repertoire as a pass-rusher. Being coached up by defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett is another element that will help him. Garrett was previously with the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars, where he helped coach two prolific pass rushers in Myles Garrett and Josh Allen-Hines.
Both of those guys are among the best pass rushers in the league and should give fans another reason for excitement about Booker's development. The Kansas product even made steps as a run-defender, with his run-defense grade growing from 43.1 to 57.9 from 2024 to 2025, per Pro Football Focus. His 20 run stops were also a noticeable improvement from the 14 he had as a rookie.
Booker is an intriguing piece on the Bears' defensive front, and Chicago should have some extra love for him going into a pivotal offseason.