If you look at the teams that reached the conference championships this year, it isn’t difficult to determine the reasons they were there. All four had capable quarterbacks, and all four could rush the passer at a high level. The Chicago Bears have their quarterback. Unfortunately, they weren’t always able to consistently get to the quarterback. Part of that is some bad investments by GM Ryan Poles, but a bigger part has been health. The Bears had high hopes for second-year defensive end Austin Booker, who dominated the preseason.
Then he suffered an untimely knee injury. This kept him out for the next two months, leaving the Bears without much speed on the edge opposite Montez Sweat. It was made even worse when Dayo Odeyingbo and rookie Shemar Turner both suffered season-ending injuries. This forced the team to trade for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka from Cleveland. Thankfully, Booker returned and played far better than anyone expected. So good that NFL.com listed him as one of the unsung heroes of the 2025 season.
Austin Booker, DE · Year 2
In a magical season for the Chicago, most Bears received their just flowers, from a highly-praised offensive line to a turnover-crazed secondary to the young playmakers on defense. Had he played a full season, Booker would have surely garnered more of the spotlight. Thanks to a knee injury, he didn’t make his 2025 debut until Week 9 — but even so, Booker finished third on the Bears’ D in both sacks (4.5) and QB pressures (30), generating a 9.9% QB pressure rate over the final 10 regular-season games. In the first seven weeks of the Bears’ season, Chicago generated a 28.7% QB pressure rate (27th in the NFL) with 9.1 pressures per game (31st). After Booker entered the lineup, those numbers went to 33.2 % (21st) and 12.5 pressures per game (14th).
Booker might be peaking at the perfect time.
Remember, next year is the third of his rookie contract. That is typically when teams start determining whether to extend a player. As a 5th round pick, Booker has four years on his deal. That means if he wants the maximum extension possible, he must have a true breakthrough season in 2026. The good news is that if you average his production over his final six games out to a full 17-game schedule, he would’ve had 13 sacks. He was creating consistent havoc for the Bears up front.
If he can maintain that pace next season, there will be a sizable contract waiting for him. GM Ryan Poles has made it his mission to retain guys the Bears draft whenever possible. Having Austin Booker as a building block would be a great boost for their future. Perhaps the plan should be to draft somebody high anyway and make plans to eventually move on from Montez Sweat. Whatever the case, the Bears are in a far better spot than they were a few months ago.
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