Bears Starting Edge Rusher Suffers New Injury Ahead of Week 1

Getty Bears defensive end DeMarcus Walker.

The Chicago Bears now have injuries to monitor with both of their starting edge rushers heading into their 2024 season opener against the Tennessee Titans.

The Bears added veteran defensive end DeMarcus Walker to their official injury report with a groin injury following September 5’s second practice of Week 5, marking him as a limited participant after he practiced in full during their first session on Wednesday.

The Bears also limited Pro Bowl defensive end Montez Sweat (toe) for a second straight practice on Thursday afternoon, opening the door for the Bears to potentially have to begin the new season without either of their top two pass rushers against the Titans.

Chicago has not expressed much concern about either Sweat’s or Walker’s game-day statuses ahead of their season opener. Sweat also addressed reporters on September 5 and spoke about his anticipation of facing the Titans in a way that implies he will play.

“Yeah, I’m excited,” Sweat said Thursday. “I’m excited to get my hands on the QB.”

Until the Bears officially clear Sweat or Walker, though, the team will need to consider its other options in case one — or both — of them cannot suit up for Sunday’s game. The Bears would likely promote either newly-acquired veteran Darrell Taylor or fifth-round rookie Austin Booker to the starting lineup if one of their top veterans is unavailable.

The Bears will have one more practice on September 6 to determine the condition of their injured players. They will include game-day status decisions on Friday’s report.

Injuries May Create Early Opportunity for Austin Booker

With three days to go until the season opener, the Bears do not need to mash the panic button just yet when it comes to the health of their starting edge rushers. If the team must hold out or limit either Sweat or Walker in Week 1, though, it could create an opportunity for the Bears to put Booker to the test right out of the gates as a rookie.

Booker shined for the Bears during his first NFL preseason, making waves with his 2.5-sack performance against the Buffalo Bills in their second exhibition game. The Bears have insisted, though, that they are still “in the development phase” with Booker even though they are happy with his progress and think he can become an “every-down end.”

“We’ll define his role,” Bears head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters on August 28. “He’ll have role responsibility there, and if he can do all things [that] we want him to do, he will do that. And if he’s a little bit developing in a certain phase of it, then we’ll just back him down in that particular department. But we’re always gonna evaluate that and push him to be an every-down end.”

The Bears clearly have a development plan in place for Booker — whom they traded back into the 2024 draft to land in the fifth round —  but they may have no choice but to throw him into the regular-season fire if they face availability issues at the position.

The Bears also have Taylor (21.5 sacks in the past three seasons) and former fifth-round pick Dominique Robinson to consider promoting if necessary. Neither has the upside of Booker, but both have more NFL experience than him and could be more suitable.

Ryan Bates Upgraded to Full Participant in Practice

The Bears adding Walker to the injury report is a bit concerning, but the team also got some good news regarding veteran interior offensive lineman Ryan Bates.

Bates — who has been dealing with a shoulder injury for several weeks — participated in a full capacity for the Bears during September 5’s practice after being limited one day earlier. While the Bears are unlikely to rush him back into the starting lineup given how much time he has missed, Bates’ availability should be an asset for their offensive line.

The other injured Bears’ statuses remained unchanged. Wide receiver Keenan Allen (heel), rookie offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie (quad), running back Roschon Johnson (toe) and defensive tackle Zacch Pickens (groin) were all limited for a second straight practice. The Bears also held out tight end Marcedes Lewis for a veteran rest day.

The Bears will face the Titans at Soldier Field at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on September 8.