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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 10: Austin Booker #94 of the Chicago Bears reacts during the third quarter of the NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on August 10, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears will need pass rusher Austin Booker to step up as he heads into Year 3 in the NFL, especially with the team barely adding to the pass-rushing department.
“The Bears didn’t get enough pass pressure in 2025,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote. “When coordinator Dennis Allen didn’t send extra pass rushers at the quarterback, the Bears ranked 30th in pressure rate (23.7%). Montez Sweat managed 10 sacks, but the team’s two notable free agent additions from last offseason failed to make much of an impact; Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett combined for only 2.5 sacks and 12 knockdowns in their first season with Chicago.”
That said, someone who’s improved their game in 2025 was Booker, who increased his sack count from 1.5 in 17 games as a rookie to 4.5 in 10 games last season. And defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett is extremely excited about Booker’s potential as the 2026 NFL season nears.
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 09: Austin Booker #94 of the Chicago Bears tackles Jaxson Dart #6 of the New York Giants after a pass during the second quarter in the game at Soldier Field on November 09, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Speaking with GNSportsTV, Jeremy Garrett went into detail on what he’s been seeing from Austin Booker this offseason and how he’s helping him improve his game.
“Excited about Book. You know, the one thing we looked at as simple as this, like, the consistency of his stance and explosion off-the-ball is making him more efficient and more fluid, and I’ve been excited these couple of weeks been working with him. He’s doing a really good job of exploding off the ball and taking the fight to them. You know you can see his talent, you can see his ability to get off blocks, you can see the way he rushes the passer. He plays with phenomenal effort. So it’s about cleaning up the start of the down, and I’ll tell him, ‘Let’s get you to your work faster.'”
There’s a belief that Booker will be the guy who steps up opposite Sweat, even with Odeyingbo signing a three-year, $48 million deal last offseason.
“Montez Sweat had one of his better years in the NFL, whether that shows up in the sack total or not,” Ben Johnson said. “And you saw tremendous growth from Austin Booker where we were able to get him back as well. The combination of us being able to coach better and those guys taking the next step as part of this system, we’ve got some pretty good pieces to work with.”
#Bears D-line coach Jeremy Garrett is excited about Austin Booker
He’s been improving the consistency of his stance & his explosion off the ball
“He plays with phenomenal effort. It’s about cleaning up the start of the down. I’ll tell him, ‘Let’s get you to your work faster’”
The Bears hosted former Buffalo Bills pass rusher AJ Epenesa last week for a workout, and he could be the boost Chicago needs up front on defense.
If not, Barnwell has two suggestions for the Bears: Joey Bosa and Haason Reddick.
“…there’s still time to find a solution, with players such as Joey Bosa and Haason Reddick still unsigned,” Barnwell wrote.
Reddick’s best days are behind him, with just 2.5 sacks in 2025 (13 games) and 1 sack in 2024 (10 games). However, Bosa would be an enticing pickup, considering he’s still productive (5 sacks and 5 forced fumbles in 15 games with the Bills in 2025) and could sign a cheap one-year deal.
Isaac Zuniga is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders. More about Isaac Zuniga
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