The Bears may have one of their most important defensive questions hiding in plain sight: who settles in as the edge rusher opposite Montez Sweat in 2026?
Aaron Schatz of ESPN recently highlighted one nonstarter to know for every NFL team heading into the season, and for Chicago, the answer centered on Dayo Odeyingbo and Austin Booker. Schatz identified Booker as the starter and Odeyingbo as the nonstarter to know, but the reality for the Bears looks more fluid than that label suggests.
That’s because the job may not be about one player winning and the other disappearing. Chicago appears set up to use both rushers in ways that fit their strengths, with the bigger picture being simple: both need to play well if the defense is going to get what it needs from that spot.
Booker’s 2025 season gave the Bears a glimpse of what he can do when the workload grows. He had a breakout year after being asked to handle a larger role, and he should remain part of the rotation in 2026.
But the ideal usage is probably more specialized. In a perfect world, he’s the speed rusher who comes in on passing downs.
The problem was that Chicago had to increase his run-defense snaps, and that chipped away at the pass-rushing impact he can bring.
Odeyingbo brings a different profile. He is the bigger, more powerful option and is viewed more as a run defender than Booker. The concern is that he already did not bring much legitimate pass-rush juice, and now he is working his way back from an Achilles injury.
The Bears are hoping he keeps the power and leverage that make him effective against the run. What they probably should not expect is a major pass-rushing jump from him.
That points to a split role rather than a clean starter-versus-backup setup. Odeyingbo would make sense on early downs, and if he handles that job and Chicago gets into obvious passing situations, Booker can come on and attack the quarterback. That’s the kind of usage that gets the most out of both players.
So whether Odeyingbo or Booker is listed first on the depth chart may not be the real issue. The more important part is that both should be on the field in meaningful spots all season, with the Bears rotating them based on situation instead of treating one like a traditional full-time starter. Down, distance, and the kind of look Chicago wants to force will shape which one gets the call.
What does matter is that the two players lining up across from Sweat are performing at a high level. That means Odeyingbo getting healthy and back to form, or Booker taking another step after being pushed into a difficult role.
Chicago chose to go into the year with these two rather than upgrade the starter opposite Sweat. That leaves real pressure on both edge rushers right away.
In Other News...
Jay Cutler Pulled Back Into Another Awkward Public Divorce Fight
Jay Cutler has been dragged back into an uncomfortable post-divorce public back-and-forth with Kristin Cavallari, years after the former Bears quarterback and the reality TV personality finalized their split in 2022. The divorce ended nearly seven years of marriage, and the two have remained linked by the fact that they share three children and agreed to joint custody, a setup that has kept their family life in the public eye even after the legal process was supposed to be behind them.
The latest round of comments has once again put the settlement under a microscope, with Cutler pushing back on Cavallaris version of how things were handled. He has pointed to the fact that the divorce went through Tennessee court, suggesting the financial terms were handled there rather than in the way Cavallari has described, which has only added another awkward layer to a split that still seems to invite debate whenever either side speaks publicly. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Just Quietly Set Up A Bigger Tight End Decision
Sam Roush is officially under contract, giving the Bears one less rookie negotiation to worry about and a clearer picture of how their tight end room is taking shape. The third-round pick signed a four-year deal worth $7.35 million, and his arrival closes the book on Chicagos rookie class after he became the final Bears draft pick to put pen to paper.
What makes the move interesting is less the paperwork than the role waiting for him. Chicago is planning to use Roush primarily as a blocking tight end in its 2026 offense, with Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet expected to handle most of the passing work. It is a subtle arrangement on the surface, but it also hints at how the Bears want to balance their tight end usage as they sort out who does what in the years ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Suddenly Have A Reason To Believe In Caleb Williams' Protection
The Bears offensive line is starting to look like a real strength heading into 2026, which is a welcome shift for a team trying to give Caleb Williams a cleaner path in his second season. With Joe Thuney and Braxton Jones already part of the picture, the additions of Garrett Bradbury and Logan Jones have pushed the group into a conversation it has not often been part of in recent years.
NFL analyst Warren Sharp even went as far as ranking Chicagos line sixth in the league, a sign that the units stability is being taken seriously outside Halas Hall. If that evaluation holds and the front five comes together the way it appears capable of, the Bears could be looking at more than just better protection for Williams - they could be building the kind of foundation that changes the ceiling of the entire roster. [Read more 🡒]