{"id":750735,"date":"2026-02-14T03:57:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T03:57:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/750735\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T03:57:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T03:57:22","slug":"ranking-the-top-3-edge-rushers-the-chicago-bears-need-to-target-in-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/750735\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranking the Top 3 Edge Rushers The Chicago Bears Need To Target in Free Agency"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2025 Chicago Bears pass rush was about as intimidating as a soggy Portillo\u2019s bun. While the rest of the team was busy fighting for a playoff spot and watching Caleb Williams transform into a franchise savior, the defensive front \u2014 aside from Montez Sweat \u2014 spent most of the year doing a whole lot of nothing.<\/p>\n

Watching our pressure rate hover at a pathetic 27th in the league while the secondary got hung out to dry was like watching a slow-motion car crash in the middle of a blizzard. It was ugly, it was predictable, and it was entirely avoidable. Montez Sweat shouldn\u2019t have to play hero ball on every single snap just because his supporting cast is MIA. Dayo Odeyingbo? A $32 million guaranteed mistake that ended in a Week 9 Achilles tear. Austin Booker? A fun developmental story, but he\u2019s not ready to be the Robin to Sweat\u2019s Batman.<\/p>\n

With Dennis Allen now at the helm, the mandate is simple: get long, get mean, and get to the damn quarterback. We need a \u201cjuice\u201d player opposite Sweat, and we need him yesterday.<\/p>\n

The good news? Ryan Poles has played the cap like a fiddle. While the \u201caccounting experts\u201d on Twitter will tell you the Bears are $9 million over the 2026 cap, the reality is that a few simple restructures could open up $85.9 million in cold, hard cash. Poles is sitting on a war chest, and it\u2019s time to spend it on someone who can actually bend the edge without needing a GPS.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd25 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel<\/a> to hear Chicago legends tell stories you\u2019ve never seen in headlines \u2014 real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.<\/p>\n

Here are the top three free-agent edge rushers the Bears must target to fix this mess in 2026.<\/p>\n

The State of the Pass Rush: By the Numbers (2025)<\/p>\n

Before we look at the targets, look at this carnage. This is why we can\u2019t have nice things.<\/p>\n

CategoryStatNFL RankTeam Pressure Rate28.6%31stTotal Sacks3525thPFF Pass-Rush Grade64.225thMontez Sweat Sacks10.5(Alone on an island)Rest of DE Room Sacks5.5(Pitiful)1. Trey Hendrickson: The Certified Mercenary\"\"Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) watches a replay as the Detroit Lions celebrate a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 5 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Detroit Lions at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. The Bengals continued a losing streak, falling 37-24 to the Lions.<\/p>\n

Age (2026): 31 | 2025 Sacks: 4.0 (Limited by injury) | Projected Cost: 2 years \/ $48M<\/p>\n

If you want a guy who eats, breathes, and sleeps quarterback souls, you call Trey Hendrickson. He is the best pure pass rusher on the market, period. I don\u2019t care about the age, and I certainly don\u2019t care that he only played seven games in 2025.<\/p>\n

Before his hip and back started acting up, Hendrickson was coming off back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons. Do you know how hard that is? Only five dudes in the history of the league have done that. He is a technical savage with a motor that makes Brian Urlacher look like he was napping.<\/p>\n

Why he fits Dennis Allen\u2019s vision: Allen loves a 4-3 front that creates pressure without needing to send the house every play. Hendrickson is a power-based rusher who wins with violent hands and elite leverage. He is exactly the kind of force multiplier that makes everyone else better. If you put Hendrickson opposite Sweat, offensive coordinators are going to have a mental breakdown trying to figure out who to double-team. You can\u2019t tilt the protection both ways, and that\u2019s when the magic happens.<\/p>\n

The \u201cCatch\u201d: He\u2019s 31. He just had core muscle surgery in December. He\u2019s looking for one last bag. But here\u2019s the thing: we don\u2019t need a five-year commitment. We need a two-year window where Caleb Williams is on his rookie deal and we are aggressively hunting a Super Bowl. Hendrickson on a high-AAV, short-term deal is the ultimate \u201cfuck it, we\u2019re winning now\u201d move.<\/p>\n

The Verdict: Grade: A- He\u2019s the highest-ceiling option. If he\u2019s healthy, our defense goes from \u201cpretty good\u201d to \u201cnightmare fuel\u201d overnight.<\/p>\n

2. Odafe Oweh: The High-Octane Breakout\"\"Oct 12, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Odafe Oweh (98) celebrates with fans after the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Age (2026): 27 | 2025 Sacks: 7.5 | Projected Cost: 4 years \/ $77M<\/p>\n

Odafe Oweh is the guy you sign if you want to pair Montez Sweat with his younger, more explosive twin. Oweh was a \u201ctraits\u201d guy in Baltimore who finally put it all together when he got traded to the Chargers mid-season. He basically went supernova in LA, recording 7.5 sacks in 12 games and absolutely terrorizing the Patriots in the Wild Card round (3 sacks in one game!).<\/p>\n

Why he fits Dennis Allen\u2019s vision: Oweh is 6\u20195\u201d, 250+ lbs, and runs like a gazelle. Dennis Allen has a documented obsession with length and \u201cget-off.\u201d Oweh has both in spades. He can flatten his path to the QB better than almost anyone in the league, and his ability to win with speed-to-power is exactly what you want in a modern DE.<\/p>\n

The \u201cCatch\u201d: Consistency has been the boogeyman for Oweh his entire career. Before 2025, he was the king of \u201calmost sacks.\u201d He\u2019d get the pressure, but he couldn\u2019t finish. He finally learned how to close the deal in LA, but you\u2019re betting nearly $20 million a year that the lightbulb stays on. Also, the Chargers have $100 million in cap space; they aren\u2019t going to let him walk without a fight. We might have to overpay.<\/p>\n

The Verdict: Grade: B+ If you want the long-term solution \u2014 a guy who can be here for the next four or five years \u2014 Oweh is the choice. He gives us the most physically imposing duo in the NFC.<\/p>\n

3. Jaelan Phillips: The \u201cProve-It\u201d Powerhouse\"\"Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jaelan Phillips (50) walks off the field after win against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Age (2026): 26 | 2025 Sacks: 5.0 | Projected Cost: 1 year \/ $15M<\/p>\n

Jaelan Phillips is the ultimate wildcard. If you looked at his talent in a vacuum, he\u2019s a $25 million-a-year player. He is 6\u20195\u201d, 266 lbs, and has the most polished technique of anyone on this list. But his medical chart is longer than a CVS receipt. Between the Achilles tear in 2023 and the subsequent recovery issues, he hasn\u2019t been able to stay on the field.<\/p>\n

Why he fits Dennis Allen\u2019s vision: Phillips is the biggest body of the three. He is a stone wall against the run and a technical surgeon as a rusher. Allen likes ends who can play \u201cheavy\u201d and set a physical edge. Phillips does that better than Hendrickson or Oweh. He also spent time in Philadelphia under Vic Fangio, so he knows how to function in a high-IQ, gap-disciplined system.<\/p>\n

The \u201cCatch\u201d: Can he play 17 games? That\u2019s the only question that matters. He managed it in 2025 (Miami + Philly), but the production was modest (5 sacks). You\u2019re signing him on a \u201cprove-it\u201d deal hoping he hits his 12-sack ceiling.<\/p>\n

The Verdict: Grade: B This is the low-risk, high-reward play. If Poles wants to save money for a big-time Left Tackle or Defensive Tackle, signing Phillips to a one-year deal is the smartest move on the board.<\/p>\n

The Poles Masterplan: How to Pay for It<\/p>\n

I hear the cap casualties screaming already. \u201cBut we have no money!\u201d Shut up. Seriously.<\/p>\n

Ryan Poles is a wizard when it comes to contract structure. By doing \u201csimple restructures\u201d \u2014 basically just turning base salary into signing bonuses\u2014the Bears can create a massive amount of breathing room without actually cutting anyone we like.<\/p>\n

Potential Cap Savings via Simple Restructure:<\/p>\n

Montez Sweat: +$15.7MDJ Moore: +$17.9MJaylon Johnson: +$11.1MJoe Thuney: +$12.1MDayo Odeyingbo (If kept): +$11.8M<\/p>\n

Total potential space: $85.9 Million. Poles isn\u2019t aiming for the full $85M \u2014 he\u2019ll likely target about $40M in active space for free agency. That is more than enough to sign Hendrickson and add a veteran safety or another piece on the interior.<\/p>\n

Final Verdict<\/p>\n

If I\u2019m Ryan Poles, I\u2019m not overthinking this. We were one defensive stop away from the NFC Championship game in 2025. One stop. Our window is wide open, and Caleb Williams is the truth.<\/p>\n

The Move: Go get Trey Hendrickson on a 2-year, $50M deal. Front-load the guarantees while Caleb is cheap. Let Hendrickson and Sweat spend the next two years making life a living hell for Jordan Love and Jared Goff.<\/p>\n

Then, use your first-round pick (No. 25) on a young, high-upside edge like Zion Young or Dani Dennis-Sutton. Let them learn behind two of the best in the business.<\/p>\n

The time for \u201cbridge\u201d players and \u201cflashes\u201d is over. We have the quarterback. We have the offensive identity. Now, give Dennis Allen the predator he needs to finish the job.<\/p>\n

Because if we roll into 2026 with Austin Booker as our primary pass-rush answer again, we deserve exactly what we get.<\/p>\n

Bear Down.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2025 Chicago Bears pass rush was about as intimidating as a soggy Portillo\u2019s bun. While the rest…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":750736,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3],"tags":[391,7,6,1503],"class_list":{"0":"post-750735","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-chicago-bears","9":"tag-football","10":"tag-nfl","11":"tag-trey-hendrickson"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116066978708184436","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/750735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=750735"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/750735\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/750736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=750735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=750735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=750735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}