The Chicago Bears appear more and more likely to enter the regular season with its group of edge defenders as currently constructed, while and the free agent talent pool continues to shrink in the meantime — with Cameron Jordan the most recent veteran pass-rusher to come off the market.
Jordan decided on Tuesday, June 16 to return to the New Orleans Saints for a 16th consecutive season, which means reuniting him with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is no longer an option for Chicago.
“Saints announced eight-time Pro-Bowl DE Cam Jordan is officially back in New Orleans on a one-year deal,” Adam Schefter of ESPN reported.
Jordan’s extensive familiarity with Allen’s system, along with his 10.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss in 2025 as a natural edge defender in a base 4-3 set, rendered him precisely the type of player who would have made a ton of sense on a Bears defense that finished last season with 35 sacks as a unit and near dead last in the NFL in pressure rate.
That Jordan did so at a salary cap value under $10 million in 2025 and is headed back to New Orleans on a deal heavily based on incentives would have suited him even better for the Bears.
That Chicago let Jordan slip through the cracks is a strong indicator the team is going to ride with Montez Sweat and bet on both development from third-year defensive end Austin Booker and a healthier campaign from Dayo Odeyingbo.
But there is another available pass-rusher who fits a similar mold as Jordan — a natural DE in a 4-3 scheme coming off a productive campaign in 2025 and likely to play for a reasonable short-term salary in 2026. And that player is Jadeveon Clowney.
Jadeveon Clowney Was Efficient, Effective Pass-Rusher for Cowboys Last Season
GettyDefensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
Clowney delivered 12 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in just 13 games played for the Dallas Cowboys last season. He added a forced fumble and four pass breakups.
An efficient edge-rusher on just 227 pass-rush snaps in 2025, Clowney racked up 40 quarterback pressures and 29 hurries, according to Pro Football Focus.
Chicago’s apparent lack of interest in Jordan has seeped into analysis regarding Clowney’s free agency, as projections for his next team frequently include the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles, among others, with fewer mentions of the Bears in recent weeks.
Jadeveon Clowney Should Offer Good Financial Bargain in Free Agency
GettyDefensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
That said, analysts like Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report are strongly urging Chicago to move inside the relatively affordable market for free agent pass-rushers and acquire someone, anyone, before all the best options find other homes.
“Amazingly, the Chicago Bears entered this offseason with their pass rush being the team’s biggest need and have yet to properly address the problem,” Sobleski wrote Tuesday. “Sweat is a tremendous player, but he can benefit greatly from a bookend taking off some of the pressure. Multiple proven veteran options remain available, even if they’re long in the tooth.”
Clowney will play next season at 33 years old but proved beyond any doubt last year that he still has something to offer a team like the Bears, particularly if they can sign him for a projected price of less than $6 million on a one-year deal.
Bears Should Secure Career $100 Million Pass-Rusher After Cameron Jordan Inks with Saints