Chicago Bears defensive hopeful draws ‘menacing’ Ben Johnson appraisal

Of all the winners from the Chicago Bears’ preseason opening tie against the Miami Dolphins, perhaps no player’s star shined brighter than defensive tackle Austin Booker. His performance has squarely put him on the map as Booker has become the talk of Chicago entering Week 2 of the preseason.

The pass rusher put up six tackles, four quarterback hits, three sacks and a forced fumble. He was consistently in the Dolphins’ backfield and was a force to be reckoned with each snap he played. Booker’s performance caught the eye of many around the NFL, including Bears head coach Ben Johnson, via Nicholas Moreano of Marquee Sports Network.

Booker is battling for a larger opportunity in Chicago’s pass rush rotation. With more outings like he had against the Dolphins, he’ll only earn a more expansive role under Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.

“He was a factor the entire game,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson told reporters. “I think he ended up with, what, three sacks there? And just a menace. You really feed off of that, those negative plays like that. That’s obviously a huge thing in terms of ending drives.”

“Also, the offense that’s sitting on the side, they see that and feel that, and the momentum carries over to the other side of the ball as well, that we’re looking to capitalize on,” he continued. “We’re always looking to pick each other up, and you could certainly feel his impact on the game today.”

Austin Booker ready to make Chicago Bears impact 

The Bears originally selected Booker with the No. 144 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he appeared in all 17 games, registering 21 tackles, four quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks. Now entering his sophomore season, Chicago wants to see the defensive end continually taking a step forward.

Especially with the pass rush situation in front of him. Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo are locked into starting roles. However, the Bears are pretty barren in terms of depth behind them. If Booker stays living in opposing team’s backfields, it’ll be clear that he should be the next man up in the pass rush.

It’s telling that despite those glaring pass rush holes, the team has yet to dive back into the free agency well. Veterans like Za’Darius Smith and Jadeveon Clowney remain available. Yet, Johnson and company have opted to see what they have on their roster before making any decisions.

Booker’s Dolphins performance may skew the franchise even further from making an outside addition. However, he needs more than just one good game to earn a sizable role in Allen’s scheme.