Ryan Poles took plenty of heat for how he handled the Bears’ defensive line, and through three games, the early returns are making that criticism look a little premature.
The biggest gripe around Chicago’s roster heading into the 2026 season was simple: the defensive line didn’t look ready, and Poles didn’t exactly calm anyone down. The Bears added Kentavius Street, James Lynch, Neville Gallimore and rookie Jordan van den Berg at defensive tackle, but they brought in no edge rushers.
That alone had plenty of fans frustrated. Then came the part that really stung - Chicago traded away defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, its second-best pass rusher from 2025, to the Atlanta Falcons.
All of that left real doubt about whether this group could do two things at once: hold up against the run and bother opposing quarterbacks. Three games in, though, the numbers are telling a different story.
The Bears have 52 quarterback pressures and seven sacks so far, and they’re sitting 10th in the NFL with a 32.7% pressure rate, according to StatRankings. That doesn’t look like a unit in crisis. It looks like a group that’s quietly getting the job done.
Montez Sweat is doing what you’d expect from the top name on the line, leading the Bears with nine pressures and two sacks. But the more encouraging development is Dayo Odeyingbo, who is right behind him with eight pressures and is tied with Sweat for the team lead in sacks at two. That’s the kind of production Bears fans were hoping to see when the season started.
Austin Booker has also chipped in off the edge with four pressures and one sack. There’s still more to come from him, but the signs are there.
For a group plenty of people wrote off before the season, the start has been better than expected. In fact, the early numbers suggest the Bears may be better along the defensive line than most thought.
That said, this probably shouldn’t be taken as a reason for Poles to stand pat. The Maxx Crosby idea may be off the table with the Las Vegas Raiders at 3-0, but there are still other edge rushers worth chasing.
Chicago still looks like one elite edge rusher away from being a top-five defensive line. One trade for a Pro Bowl defensive end could change the whole conversation and push the Bears right back into Super Bowl talk.
Poles has earned a little credit for now. But the Bears could still use one more pass rusher, and the chance to go from good to dangerous is still sitting there.
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