The Chicago Bears haven’t been able to generate much of a pass rush this season and the defense got more bad news on that front Sunday.
Chicago has tallied 14 total sacks through seven games, which ranks 25th in the NFL through Week 8. The team made several notable additions to the roster via the draft, free agency and trade market over the offseason, though it did not acquire a true edge-rusher during that process.
Part of the reason why is because new head coach Ben Johnson and his staff believed that second-year defensive end Austin Booker would bounce back from a knee injury soon enough to be a factor in the position group in 2025. However, Booker has been unable to meet those expectations, and the Bears could lose him for the season if he can’t get well in the next couple of days.
“The Bears’ pass rush took a heavy hit in the first half when it lost defensive end Dominique Robinson and defensive tackle Shemar Turner (who also plays on the edge) to injuries,” Courtney Cronin of ESPN reported Sunday. “Chicago chose not to activate defensive end Austin Booker off injured reserve before Week 8, leaving just Daniel Hardy as depth on the edge. Coach Ben Johnson said he felt Booker would be able to help the Bears, but Chicago has until Tuesday to move him to the active roster, or he will stay on IR for the rest of the season.”
Bears Could Look to Swing Big on Trade Market for Player Like Trey Hendrickson to Address Pass-Rush Issues
GettyDefensive end Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Given Chicago’s record (4-3) and its lack of depth and performance off the edge, the Bears profile as a team that could pursue a pass rusher ahead of the league’s November 4 trade deadline.
The Bears could try and take a big swing on a player like Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals, though that franchise has been hesitant to take calls on Hendrickson and recently turned away the Dallas Cowboys after they made an inquiry into the NFL’s reigning sack champion.
Ironically, Chicago might be able to help its cause by besting the Bengals next Sunday. With a loss in that game, Cincinnati would fall to 3-6 with quarterback Joe Burrow still several weeks away from his return after surgery to repair a turf toe injury he suffered in Week 2.
A team like the Bears or Cowboys could potentially convince the Bengals to move on from Hendrickson if the postseason appears essentially out of reach, as he will become a free agent next March and isn’t likely to return to a franchise in Cincinnati that either can’t or won’t pay him on a longterm extension.
Bears Could Look for 1-Year Rental, More Affordable Edge-Rusher Like Jaelan Phillips
GettyMiami Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips.
But Hendrickson is an expensive proposition, likely costing a second-round draft pick in trade and then upwards of $35 million annually over a new three- or four-year deal while already on the wrong side of 30 years old.
As such, the Bears are more likely to look at a one-year rental or a cheaper player who is still productive and whom they could extend at a more reasonable salary figure.
Jaelan Phillips of the Miami Dolphins potentially fits that bill, as does Jermaine Johnson of the New York Jets.
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