It’s not going to be easy to crawl out of the cellar, but the Chicago Bears have to start somewhere.
Now riding a ten-game losing streak, the Bears’s 2024 season has officially veered into disaster territory. There are plenty of culprits for the collapse, but the lack of a pass rush might be flying under the radar.
The Bears locked up Montez Sweat on a four-year, $98 million extension shortly after trading for him in 2023, but the move hasn’t paid many dividends either for Sweat’s individual stats or Chicago’s overall pass rush.
Adding one more star to the mix could help the Bears finally get after opposing quarterbacks next season. And one of the top edge-rushers available happens to be Sweat’s old teammate with the Washington Commanders.
On Monday, Matt Holder of Bleacher Report predicted that the Bears would sign Chase Young, the former first-round defensive end who is currently playing out a one-year, $13 million contract with the New Orleans Saints.
“Edge-rusher has been an issue in Chicago all season, and Darrell Taylor is an impending free agent,” Holder wrote. “Meanwhile, the front office has $82 million to spend in free agency… meaning it could target a big fish on the open market.”
“Young will be one of the top pass-rushers available this spring because of his age and production. While the 25-year-old had just 5.5 sacks through Week 16 this season, PFF had him with the ninth-most pressures (58) at his position.”
Young hasn’t quite lived up to the promise he showed as a rookie in 2020, when he won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and made his lone Pro Bowl. But he’s looked like his best self for much of the 2024 season, also setting a new career-high with 21 quarterback hits.
There’s a chance Young and the Bears could benefit each other. Both are hoping to get things back on track, and both should have plenty of motivation coming off disappointing seasons.
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