Chicago Bears’ silence at critical position may not be so crazy after all

Chicago Bears fans fully expected their team to address the pass rush this offseason, as the Bears finished with just 35 sacks in 2025. That ranked toward the bottom of the NFL.

Maxx Crosby was firmly on the Bears’ radar, but he ultimately stayed put with the Las Vegas Raiders after a wacky failed trade to the Baltimore Ravens. Chicago also didn’t make a push for New York Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, who is surely too expensive for the Bears’ taste right now.

Surely Chicago would nab a pass rusher in the NFL Draft, right?

Actually, it didn’t, unless you count the Bears selecting linebacker Keyshaun Elliott — who managed seven sacks at Arizona State last season — in the fifth round.

So why was Chicago so silent on the pass-rushing front this offseason? Well, the Bears’ decision to essentially ignore the edge rusher position may not be as wild as you think.

The Chicago Bears clearly trust Austin Booker

Montez Sweat is Chicago’s top sack guy. We know that. He led the team with 10 sacks in 2025, and since arriving in the Windy City midway through the 2023 campaign, he has paced the Bears with 21.5 sacks.

That certainly isn’t fantastic, although Chicago is obviously hoping that Sweat will replicate his 2025 campaign next fall.

But what about the rest of the unit?

Only one Bears player had five sacks or better last season, and that was defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, who finished with six and was actually the subject of trade speculation earlier in the offseason. Austin Booker came in second with 4.5.

Now, about Booker.

The 23-year-old was selected by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft and saw limited playing time during his rookie campaign, logging 21 tackles and 1.5 sacks. But this past year, he totaled his 4.5 sacks as well as 12 quarterback hits in just 10 games.

Clearly, the University of Kansas product showed some progression, and had it not been for a preseason knee injury that sidelined him for much of the first half, Booker may have approached double-digit sacks in 2025.

When Booker was on the field this past year, he participated in 80 percent of Chicago’s defense snaps, so he had already built trust with Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. The Bears certainly envision a major role for him in 2026, which is almost certainly why they weren’t as eager to add a pass rusher as many had anticipated.

Look for a breakout season from Booker next fall.

The post Chicago Bears’ silence at critical position may not be so crazy after all appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-bears-silence-critical-position-not-so-crazy-after-all/