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Bears head coach Ben Johnson.
The Chicago Bears have sustained another significant blow to their edge rusher depth with less than two weeks to go until their 2025 regular-season opener.
According to the team’s transaction wire, the Bears placed second-year defensive end Austin Booker on the injured reserve list with a knee injury on Thursday, which means the 2024 fifth-round selection must sit out at least the first four games of the season.
Booker seemed poised to start the year as the Bears’ top rotational edge rusher behind starters Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo after his dominant, four-sack start to the preseason, but he injured his knee in August 17’s exhibition game against the Buffalo Bills and has been sidelined with his injury since, sitting out the preseason finale.
Without Booker, the Bears are looking at former fifth-round pick Dominique Robinson and Daniel Hardy as their top backup options at the position. They also have Jamree Kromah and rookie Xavier Carlton — both former UDFAs — to consider promoting from the practice squad, if they feel they need more edge-rushing depth on game day.
The Bears also re-signed veteran wide receiver Devin Duvernay and long snapper Scott Daly and waived linebacker Carl Jones on Thursday in a series of corresponding moves.
Should Bears Make Another Veteran Signing at DE?
Losing Booker for at least four games puts the Bears in a bad position at edge rusher. They find themselves needing a No. 3 pass rusher to help rotate in and keep Sweat and Odeyingbo fresh as the starters, and their current options for doing so are uninspiring.
While Robinson impressed Bears head coach Ben Johnson in the spring, he has tallied just two sacks and three tackles for loss on 867 career defensive snaps in his first three seasons, raising questions about his productivity. Meanwhile, Hardy is more of a special teams player and has logged just 72 defensive snaps since entering the league in 2022.
Could that drive the Bears back into free agency in search of another veteran?
Za’Darius Smith, a veteran who spent time in the same Detroit facility as Johnson, is still available and could add some rotational punch to the Bears’ rotation. They could also kick the tires on other veterans, such as Preston Smith or Jadeveon Clowney.
Alternatively, the Bears could sign a younger edge rusher with more upside to at least give them more options if Robinson and/or Hardy prove ineffective solutions. The New Orleans Saints waived 2023 second-round pick Isaiah Foskey at the cutdown deadline, while former San Francisco 49ers second-rounder Drake Jackson is also unsigned.
Either way, the Bears need to do something to boost the edge-rushing group … right?
Bears Have Other Injuries to Monitor Ahead of Week 1
Unfortunately, the Bears have more injury concerns than just Booker’s IR placement.
At cornerback, the Bears are still keeping their fingers crossed that Pro Bowler Jaylon Johnson will be ready to play against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, but he has not yet returned to practice and will remain up in the air until the Bears give confirmation. Kyler Gordon is also still a bit of a maybe, slowly working back from a hamstring injury.
The Bears also placed running back Travis Homer on short-term injured reserve during the roster cutdown, leaving them with just three rostered backs — two of whom finished the preseason on the sideline with injuries. Bears general manager Ryan Poles hinted Tuesday that Roschon Johnson and Kyle Monangai could soon return to practice from their respective issues, but it leaves things a little uneasy heading into the first game.
The Bears will kick off their regular season at home against the Vikings for the first Monday Night Football game of the season at 8:15 p.m. ET on September 8.
Jordan J. Wilson is a sports reporter who covers the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. He has previously covered all levels of sports — high school, college and pro — for a variety of publications including The Indianapolis Star, The News-Gazette, Springfield State-Journal Register and Peoria Journal Star. More about Jordan J. Wilson
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