The Chicago Bears made real noise in 2025. A trip to the Divisional Round. Caleb Williams looking like the franchise quarterback everyone hoped for. Ben Johnson’s offense humming. But if you watched that playoff loss closely, you saw the flaw that could stall everything.
The Bears couldn’t get to the quarterback. They finished tied for fifth-fewest sacks in the league with 35. And instead of throwing money or draft capital at the problem this offseason, Chicago doubled down on what they already had.
That means a whole lot of pressure is landing on Austin Booker.
The third-year defensive end out of Kansas barely played as a rookie but showed real juice in 2025. Over 10 games, Booker piled up 35 tackles, 12 quarterback hits and 4.5 sacks. Those numbers jump off the page when you consider he was only on the field for about half the defensive snaps.
Montez Sweat is still the alpha on that defensive line. Nobody’s questioning that. But the Bears have been searching for a real threat opposite him ever since Sweat showed up in 2023. Dayo Odeyingbo signed a contract and will likely start the season. But Booker is the one the coaching staff is betting on long-term.
Johnson’s offense is going to sell tickets and draw eyeballs. Williams throwing to DJ Moore and Rome Odunze will be the headline every Sunday. But the Bears won’t become actual Super Bowl contenders unless the defense holds up its end. And right now, the pass rush is the weakest link.
Booker has only started nine games in his NFL career. He’s still raw. The flashes are there — the burst off the edge, the hand fighting, the motor that doesn’t quit. But consistency has been the issue. Chicago is essentially asking a former fifth-round pick with 27 career games to be a difference-maker on a team with championship aspirations.
The front office didn’t draft an edge rusher high in the 2026 draft. They didn’t sign a proven veteran in free agency. That tells you everything about how they feel about Booker’s potential. Or maybe it tells you they’re gambling. Either way, the 24-year-old is going to get every chance to prove he belongs.
If Booker takes a real step forward, the pass rush problems disappear and the defense becomes a lot harder to plan against. If he stagnates, opposing quarterbacks will have all day to tear apart a secondary that’s solid but not elite. And the Bears will be back to square one, searching for answers.
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