The Chicago Bears aren’t necessarily Kyle Van Noy’s top choice this offseason, but they can offer him a paycheck and an opportunity as a starting edge-rusher in the upcoming campaign.
Van Noy spoke with Kay Adams of “Up & Adams” on Tuesday, May 5 and noted his intention to play in the NFL for a 13th year.
“I’m just motivated for all the people that think I’m done,” Van Noy said. “I’m gonna get double-digit sacks for whoever picks me up. That’s my energy and that’s my mindset, and I’m excited to do it with whichever team wants to come pick me up.”
Kyle Van Noy’s Best Years as Pass-Rusher Have Come During His 30s
GettyOutside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens.
He mentioned a return to the Baltimore Ravens, where he has spent the past three seasons and where he earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2024 on the strength of 14 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks (both career highs), as atop his list of potential destinations.
The outside linebacker and two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots also named the San Francisco 49ers as another preferred landing spot.
Carter Bahns of CBS Sports on Tuesday added four other teams to the mix that make sense for Van Noy, including Chicago.
Keyshaun Elliott, a fifth-rounder, represents the closest thing to an edge-rusher the Bears took in the draft but figures to stick in the lineup as an off-ball linebacker rather than a havoc-wreaker at the line of scrimmage.
One-half of the starting tandem is locked in with Montez Sweat back for 2026, but he needs a partner, and Van Noy can be that running mate. Both present 10-sack upside and boast ample experience.
Ten sacks, or more, might be a little optimistic for Van Noy, who only ever reached double-digits in 2024.
That said, he sounded determined on Adams’ show and also put up nine sacks in 2023, which was the second-best number of his career.
Van Noy will play next season at 35 years old, but he’s gotten to the quarterback more effectively on an annual basis in his 30s than he ever did in his 20s, excluding a two-sack performance across 15 games in 2025, so perhaps there is reason for optimism regarding the OLB’s ceiling as an edge-rusher in the upcoming campaign.
Bears Have Questions at Edge Opposite Montez Sweat
GettyChicago Bears pass-rusher Montez Sweat.
Sweat led the Bears with 10 sacks last season, the second time in his career he has hit, or eclipsed, that figure.
The first came during 2023, when Bears general manager Ryan Poles traded for Sweat at the deadline with the Washington Commanders. Sweat finished that campaign with a career-high 12.5 sacks and made the sole Pro Bowl of his professional tenure to this point.
Third-year defensive end Austin Booker, 2025 second-round pick Shemar Turner and 26-year-old Dayo Odeyingbo are the three other top options off the edge aside from Sweat heading into next season.
Odeyingbo was a big-money free agent last offseason but put up just one sack across eight games before suffering a torn Achilles tendon. He should be back soon enough in 2026 to contribute, though his exact return timeline remains unclear.
Turner is an inside-outside player whom the Bears appear to be leaning toward making a full-time defensive end. However, he tore his ACL halfway through the year and barely played as a rookie, so what Chicago can expect out of him is a relative mystery.
Booker is the one young player clearly trending in an upward direction. He finished last season strong, tallying a total of 12 QB hits, five tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks across 10 games played.
One of those three could emerge as the starter, though it could also be Van Noy if he joins the team this offseason. Chicago could certainly use another reliable veteran in the pass-rush rotation, and Van Noy could serve in that capacity as well.
Bears Contenders to Pair Montez Sweat With 2-Time Super Bowl Edge-Rusher