The Chicago Bears went into last offseason with a mission to get better in the trenches. The additions of Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, and Drew Dalman are a huge leap for the offensive line, but the defensive line hasn’t had the same results, especially with the struggles of offensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo.
The Bears gave Odeyingbo a three-year, $48 million contract in free agency last spring as a potential solution to their pass rush. But the 26-year-old has failed to live up to his salary, with just nine quarterback pressures and a sack on 183 pass attempts this season, according to Pro Football Focus.
With each passing week, it’s more of a probability that Odeyingbo won’t last for more than one season in Chicago. While fans may look at the $22 million in dead money as a sunk cost if he’s cut before June 1, 2026, per Spotrac, there’s a chance that Odeyingbo’s presence will cost more than just some cash if the Bears don’t move on soon.
Dayo Odeyingbo Went From Trying to Fix a Problem to Becoming One for Bears Pass Rush
Odeyingbo’s career was a mixed bag before coming to Chicago. He produced 16.5 sacks over five years with the Indianapolis Colts, including an eight-sack campaign during the 2023 season. But his production dropped during his contract year, collecting a career-high 42 pressures but just three sacks in 439 pass-rushing snaps.
While the sacks weren’t always there, you could talk yourself into Odeyingbo having the correct process to break out over the life of his new contract. Unfortunately, that trajectory hasn't continued since putting on a Bears uniform.
Odeyingbo still has a win-rate of 14.9%, but his nine pressures rank 85th among edge rushers this season, and he’s failed to become an adequate tag team partner on the opposite side of Montez Sweat.
Seven games into his contract, the Bears have to look at trading Odeyingbo. But while that sounds like a great theory, the Bears would need somebody willing to take on the remainder of his contract. OverTheCap estimates the bill to be $31 million over the next two seasons, and it could significantly short the return in a trade, making it likely Chicago would only get a mid-to-late Day 3 pick.
In all likelihood, that means Odeyingbo will be in a Bears uniform for at least the remainder of the season. But that would block younger, more effective players from getting playing time. Shemar Turner’s torn ACL sorted out the mess last Sunday, and the Bears would probably like to hand the reins to someone like Austin Booker, who was a preseason star before suffering his own knee injury last August.
Odeyingbo’s contract suggests the Bears would have to eat chalk and figure it out. His contract looks like a colossal mistake to revive the defensive line, and the deal will only further age like spoiled milk until he shows signs of life.