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The Difficult Task of Fitting Bears Defense With an Extra Edge Rusher

It's not so much about past sack totals as it is reps, cash and timing when it comes to finding the Bears one more player to rush quarterbacks.
Gene Chamberlain|
Yetur Gross-Matos of the 49ers is among players who could fit needs the Bears have for a backup edge.
Yetur Gross-Matos of the 49ers is among players who could fit needs the Bears have for a backup edge. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Expectations for a Bears roster addition at edge rusher have raged out of control from media and fans since the start of offseason work, and actually tracing back to the end of the draft.

After all, bringing in someone, anyone, to help a pass rush so feeble last year would seem entirely logical. Yet the Bears added no one on the edge, and no one at starting defensive tackle. They did bring in two backup defensive tackles known more for pass rush ability than run-stopping prowess in Kentavius Street and Neville Gallimore.

Edge is the real issue for pass rush, though, and the latest to point this out were ESPN's analysts in their rating of NFL rosters. They have the Bears with only the No. 17 roster overall and the biggest weakness was on the defensive line. Although they picked on defensive tackle, too, their real push for some sort of addition came on the edge.

They named Dayo Odeyingbo as their nonstarter to know after starters Montez Sweat and Austin Booker. It's a good choice because Odeyingbo has practiced in the offseason despite his Achilles tear, and this week he is scheduled to attend Von Miller's Sack Summit in Las Vegas, the convention for pro pass rushers featuring some of the past and current greats at the position.

Odeyingbo can benefit from the instruction because he didn't wow anyone prior to his Achilles tear.

"He signed a big free agent contract last year to come over from Indianapolis but was disappointing, with just one sack in eight starts before getting hurt," ESPN's Aaron Schatz said, referring to Odeyingbo's November torn ACL. "Can he get healthy and get his groove back? The Bears need edge help behind Sweat and Booker."

Plenty of figures say the Bears lack sufficient pass rush to count on for 2026, and last year's 28.8% pass rush win rate cited by ESPN's Mike Clay in the same article is one.

When to expect the right one

While fans continue to beat the drum for an edge from the castoff free agent pile, it seems unlikely they would do anything until at least a week before training camp and even then maybe until August and the first preseason game. In the past, GM Ryan Poles has waited and assessed physical positions like pass rusher for extra talent after seeing players in pads. Yannick Ngakoue was a prime example, coming in during the first week of August.

This was prior to the Ben Johnson era, though. Perhaps Johnson has other ideas about the urgency of the edge rush need for a team with so little salary cap space ($8.3 million).

Regardless, the need exists but the real question facing the Bears is who? More of an answer is easy to determine when assessing comments made by Sports Illustrated columnist Albert Breer. Asked by a Bears fan for about the millionth time when or if they're bringing in an edge rusher, Breer said probably not right now and pointed out how Odeyingbo's return is part of the equation after his torn Achilles suffered last year.

Albert Breer's take

"There are some guys out there that I think could fill overall, if you're looking for a guy to play 30, 40% of the snaps, give you some pass rush," Breer said in a video report.

The list he gave included Jadeveon Clowney, Joey Bosa and Kyle Van Noy. There have been rumblings Bosa is retiring. Van Noy has always been at his best in a 3-4 scheme as a linebacker and not a Bears 4-3. And Clowney appears an ideal fit if they're looking for an all-around performer.

There's a catch. Clowney, just like some of the others, might be overqualified for the job.

As Breer said, they'd be looking for someone for 30 to 40% of the snaps. He is entirely correct. They have the starters in Sweat and Booker. Last year Booker blossomed with more play at season's end.

It's the backup spot which is in question. It's a third or fourth edge. It might really be the fourth because the Bears seem certain they're going to get something from Odeyingbo in his second year of a three-year, $48 million deal.

The two key numbers

The key numbers given by Breer in his report are 30 and 40, as in percent. They're not looking for a starter. Clowney played only 44% of snaps he was available to handle last year for the Cowboys, which is probably a bit more than the Bears would need. Still, that was by far the fewest snaps played by Clowney since he was a rookie with Houston in 2014.

Bosa has never been below 50%. Van Noy hasn't had a low figure like that since before he came into his own in 2016 with Detroit Lions and New England Patriots.

These are all edge rushers used to more playing time and higher pay. The Bears wouldn't be looking for this. They'd be looking to pay less and get less playing time from someone. If they can find someone capable of more playing time but willing to take pay like they were only going to play 30% to 40% of snaps, then it would be a fit as well.

That's the kind of player you find late, well into training camp and desperate to get onto a roster.

Clowney did not sign last year until September, and the reason he had so few plays was he didn't come in until late. He played only 13 games.

Other fits and non-fits

Another player who probably doesn't fit the grouping is former Bears edge Leonard Floyd. Not only is he usually at his best in a 3-4 but he hasn't played less than 49% of the plays in a season. Yetur Gross-Matos of the 49ers did fit the 30% range last year but only after he had knee and hamstring injuries. Other than that, he has been coming in over 50% of plays in his first five years.

Emmanuel Ogbah fits the size (6-4, 275) /skillset for an edge in Dennis Allen's defense, and has played less than 40% of snaps two of the last three seasons. He had only half a sack last season in 38% of plays but had five two years earlier with Miami in 25% of the plays.

Cleveland free agent Ogbonnia Okoronkwo fits the play number range but has had only 17 1/2 sacks in six NFL seasons and is undersized for the spot in Allen's scheme.

Houston's Denico Autry is another in the right size and play-count range but at 36 this year he is like Von Miller, with age coming into question.

There are fits but always problems

The best fit for the money remains Derek Barnett of the Texans, as he has been playing in the 30% range for reps and isn't a highly paid pass rusher, but does produce.

Finding an ideal fit for cash, play count, age and production for a No. 3 or No. 4 edge at this point can become a difficult matter, though.

The Bears may need to alter what they want to pay and be willing to bring in someone overqualified for the 30% to 40% range if they want to make sure they have the position covered come training camp.

They also might want to make a decision before August or September, because it cane become much more pricey at that point. They found this out in 2023 when they signed Ngakoue to make four sacks for $10.5 million one week into training camp.

The ideal situation would be for them to get both a healthy Odeyingbo back, as well as second-year edge/tackle Shemar Turner back from his ACL tear. It's a possibility, but in Turner's case it wasn't one Johnson could say was possible when minicamp ended.

If this happened, then they'd have skillset taken care of along with play count. Instead, whether they could get the kind of productivity from those two that they could from some of the veteran edge rushers available is the question they would face.

What this lack of edge rush help says more than anything else is that it's time for the Bears to get serious about drafting a top edge. They haven't drafted one with double figure sacks as a rookie since Mark Anderson 20 years ago when they last went to a Super Bowl.

Then again, when the only two you've drafted in Round 1 since then were Floyd, Michael Haynes and Shea McClellin, it's easy to see why they'd hesitate.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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