Devin Bush has already made himself hard to ignore in Chicago.
In his first season under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, the veteran linebacker has settled into the Bears’ defense as one of the newcomers who has brought steadiness to the middle of the unit. He’s been healthy, he’s been available, and he’s produced - a combination that doesn’t come around often enough at linebacker.
That matters even more with the Bears dealing with some movement around him. T.J.
Edwards has been sidelined in training camp with a calf strain, while rookie Keyshaun Elliott missed most of camp because of a back injury. Bush, meanwhile, has been a constant presence and a source of speed in the center of Allen’s defense.
Bush said at Halas Hall that there have been “little hitches here and there” while learning the scheme, but for him, it still comes back to the same thing: football. He pointed to his speed, ball tracking and ability to create tackles for loss and sacks as the traits that define his game.
Those plays should come, Bush believes, once the chemistry around him keeps building. Even with limited time on the field alongside Edwards, he isn’t worried about the fit. With Edwards healthy again, the two linebackers will keep getting more reps together.
The Bears are going to need Bush to carry over the production he showed a season ago. He finished as a top-10 linebacker in overall defensive grade, according to Pro Football Focus, and his numbers backed it up: 125 total tackles, two sacks, three interceptions, including two pick-sixes, and eight passes defensed.
There’s also more on his plate with Kyler Gordon out for at least the first four weeks, and possibly longer. Malik Muhammad is expected to start at nickel, a spot that demands heavy run support, and that means Bush will have to help cover more ground and absorb more responsibility.
One thing working in his favor is the summer he’s already had against Chicago’s starting offense. Caleb Williams has tested Allen’s defense with extended plays, and Bush has also spent plenty of time going up against tight end Colston Loveland and D’Andre Swift. Both have given him looks that force a linebacker to be sharp from sideline to sideline.
The Bears are clearly betting on the 28-year-old to deliver. Allen’s defense will need Bush to match the standard he set last season if the unit is going to take a meaningful step in 2026.
In Other News...
Bears Just Got An Early NFC North Break Against Green Bay
Josh Jacobs going on the commissioners exempt list is the kind of early-season twist that can ripple well beyond Green Bays backfield. For the Packers, it leaves a proven runner out of the mix for an unknown stretch and forces the team to sort through its depth sooner than expected, while for the Bears it lands as a small but meaningful opening in a division that figures to be tight all year.
Chicago already had reason to feel better about its running back room, and this only sharpens the contrast. Jacobs had been one of the Packers most reliable offensive pieces over the last two seasons, so any extended absence changes the look of Green Bays attack and, by extension, the NFC North race the Bears are trying to win. [Read more 🡒]
Kyler Gordon Video Reignites A Bears Concern That Still Wont Go Away
Kyler Gordons latest appearance in a social media workout video did little to quiet the uncertainty surrounding his status. The Bears have spent much of this season waiting for clarity on the defensive backs recovery, and general manager Ryan Poles only added to the unease when he acknowledged he could not say for sure whether Gordon will play for Chicago again.
Gordon looked healthy enough in the clip to stir optimism, but the optics only tell part of the story. A personal trainer pointed out that visible fitness is not the same thing as being ready for game action, since pain or swelling can still follow activity, and that is the sort of detail the Bears and their fans are still left trying to sort through. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Suddenly Have A Week 1 Worry They Couldn't Afford
The Bears went into their final preseason practice hoping to get through the week clean, but two key offensive pieces left the field with fresh concerns. Rome Odunze, who had already been limited by a foot issue, was dealing with that same injury again, while D'Andre Swift came up holding his midsection after a play. For a team trying to settle in before Week 1, it was the kind of late-August jolt no one wanted.
Chicago is now waiting for more information ahead of its opener against the Carolina Panthers, with the status of both players suddenly part of the conversation. Any preseason injury is worth watching, but this one lands with a little more weight because of where it hits and when it happened. The Bears had enough to sort out already, and now they are hoping the latest update does not turn into a bigger problem. [Read more 🡒]