Should the Bears take a look at recently released pass-rusher Matthew Judon?

The Bears' defensive line is coming off their best game of the season, and it isn't particularly close.

They consistently rattled Shadeur Sanders and generated 22 pressures (which was their most in a single game since 2020) on his 42 attempts. They also had five sacks for the first time since Week Five of the 2023 NFL season.

Is it safe to assume their pass-rushing woes are healed in that case?

Well, not exactly.

The Browns' offensive line was absolutely depleted. They weren't good to begin with, and entered the game down four starters. Former Bear Teven Jenkins drew the start at right guard and also got hurt (no surprise there, unfortunately) during the game.

While it was still a promising showing for a team on the cusp of the playoffs, it's difficult to discern how much of their success can be attributed to the quality of their opponent. They'll have to build on the performance against Green Bay before it's safe to say they've turned a new leaf.

While Austin Booker had two sacks against Cleveland, they could still use some help rounding out the edges (literally and figuratively). Their depth on the edge is paper-thin. Luckily for them, the Dolphins might've just opened the door for them to get some reinforcements there at a bargain bin price.

Sources: #Dolphins are releasing pass rusher Matthew Judon. He will go on waivers. pic.twitter.com/XQfzjyWlLH
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) December 17, 2025

It's no secret that Judon's best days are behind him. That shouldn't be surprising considering the fact that he made four straight Pro Bowls with the Ravens and Patriots.

Judon has struggled this season. He looked like a clear misfit on Miami's defense and didn't have a sack on 151 pass-rushing snaps (according to Pro Football Focus). However, he has been credited with 10 pressures, indicating that he still has some gas left in the tank.

The stats definitely are not in Judon's favor, and I'm not going to pretend like I've done a deep dive on Dolphins film this season. Still, I find it hard to believe that he's completely fallen off from a season ago, when he started 15 games and had 5.5 sacks for the Falcons. I think it's much more likely that he just wasn't a good fit in Miami, and he can still provide something off the edge.

Notably, the Bears were reportedly interested in him before he eventually got traded to Atlanta before last season. I know that was under a (completely) different regime, but could Ryan Poles and Co. be interested in going back to the well for a late-season boost? I could see it.

The Bears pass-rush is coming off a dominant performance against the Browns, but they could've definitely used something practically every other game this season.

Signing Judon for the playoff stretch run would make a LOT of sense for Chicago.

Pulling the trigger on him wouldn't stunt any development Booker has shown, either. I'm encouraged by what I've seen from him this season. Regardless, teams could never have enough pass-rushers, and the Bears could use some help getting consistent pressure. In fact, if they have one Achilles heel, it would undoubtedly be the pass-rush.

Also, I don't know about you, but I feel like the team to the North could be looking for help off the edge after Micah Parsons went down with a season-ending ACL tear. If we don't take a shot on Judon, then they very well might.

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