Bear Digest

Bears on edge after loss of another key defender for the year

The injuries are piling up for the Bears and the latest one means Ryan Poles will need real help at one position via trade.
Gene Chamberlain|
Dayo Odeyingbo pursues Patrick Mahomes during preseason play. Odeyingbo had one sack after coming over from the Colts and is now lost for the year.
Dayo Odeyingbo pursues Patrick Mahomes during preseason play. Odeyingbo had one sack after coming over from the Colts and is now lost for the year. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Bears were greatly in need of help on the edge with their pass rush but now they’re going to need to be trade deadline participants regardless.

They lost defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo for the season due to a torn Achilles suffered in Sunday’s game at Cincinnati. Odeyingbo was a starter at right defensive end and signed for three years and $48 million to come over from the Colts during free agency.

Combined with the fact Dominique Robinson is suffering from a high ankle sprain and that defensive end/tackle Shemar Turner already went on season-ending IR, the Bears are totally depleted on the edge.

"Yeah, I mean it’s one of those deals where it feels like we take some strides at particular positions, then we take some steps back," coach Ben Johnson said. "It’s wild. I felt like we had a solution there with Shemar (Turner) at defensive end a couple weeks ago. Then we lost him.

"Then we finally get Booker back and we lose Dayo. So it’s a little bit of give and take. That’s, of course, the NFL season. That happens. And so we’ll have guys step up."

Odeyingbo starts on the right side of the defense but his injury occurred while rushing from the left side because Montez Sweat was out resting and Austin Booker was in at right end.

Considering Robinson’s injury is the dreaded high ankle sprain and he has missed only one game, they might be in the market for more than one edge.

However, they did have Tanoh Kpassagnon earlier on the practice squad but cut him. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they brought him back. They still have Daniel Hardy as a combination edge and strongside linebacker, as well. Kpassagnon had a sack earlier this season.

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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.