The Chicago Bears‘ defense was already under the microscope going into 2026. Aside from turnovers, it ranked near the bottom in most major categories last season, be it run defense or pass rush. The latter is what has many gravely concerned. Failing to pressure the quarterback constantly hurt the Bears last season. It was hoped the team might work harder to fix the problem this spring. They did not. Their only notable moves were a series of cheaper free agents and a 6th round pick at the defensive tackle spot. No edge rushers.
General manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson were betting that better health and coaching would be enough to solve the problem. Saturday’s preseason game in Cincinnati raised alarming questions about that decision. On their only drive of the game, the starting defense struggled to apply any pressure despite the Bengals only playing their backups. Even blitzing didn’t help. Cincinnati had multiple conversions on 3rd-and-10 or longer. It was a glaring sign of how poor Chicago’s depth is, especially on the edge.
The Chicago Bears have failed to wish the problem away.
Austin Booker did not play, but Montez Sweat did. It wasn’t nearly effective enough. The Bears will play far better quarterbacks in the upcoming season. At this rate, they may have to win shootouts every week. If nothing else, we can see why the team elected to sign veteran Marcus Davenport. The former 1st-round pick was an effective edge rusher earlier in his career, particularly when playing for Dennis Allen in New Orleans. However, the past three seasons have been marred by injuries. It is difficult to know what the 29-year-old can offer at this point.
That said, he can’t be worse than any of the other depth options the Chicago Bears currently have. If either Sweat or Booker go down, they are in deep trouble. It might finally be dawning on them that this is the case. Daniel Hardy is a special teams guy. That is his only viable role. Dayo Odeyingbo has returned from his torn Achilles, but if last season was any indication, he’s not what you’d call a dynamic edge rusher. There is no getting around the facts here.
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The Bears made an ill-advised gamble, and it threatens to torpedo their season.
Only good luck can save them.
That means either everybody stays healthy, Davenport overachieves, or they find a hidden gem that becomes an unlikely contributor. Those are not betting odds most gamblers would dare touch. Hence why the Bears are in such a predicament. They lost three defensive tackles to various injuries last year. Davenport hasn’t had a truly good season since 2021, and it’s incredibly rare to find productive pass rushers just lying on the street. NFL teams aren’t in the habit of letting that happen.
Perhaps the only true solution is a trade, but that option won’t open up until late October. Even then, it’s bound to be expensive. The Bears aren’t rich in draft picks or salary cap space at the moment. So unless they’re 100% sure they’re on course for a Super Bowl run or somebody unexpected becomes available at an affordable price, they’re stuck with their current predicament. It is a frustrating situation that many fans and media warned would be a problem.
