The Chicago Bears enter the 2026 season with expectations higher than they’ve been in years…
Caleb Williams is looking to build on a breakout campaign, Ben Johnson is entering his second season as head coach, and stars like Montez Sweat, Rome Odunze, and new additions Coby Bryant and Devin Bush are expected to help push the Bears deeper into the postseason.
Yet when Fox Sports NFL reporter Ben Arthur identified Chicago’s biggest X-factor for 2026, he didn’t choose any of those guys… Instead, he pointed to third year edge rusher Austin Booker.
“The Bears didn’t address their pass rush in a meaningful way in free agency or the draft,” Arthur wrote. “That means Booker, a fifth-round pick in 2024 who had a career-high 4.5 sacks last season, will need to take another step forward at edge rusher opposite Montez Sweat.”
The case for Booker
GettyBears Edge Rusher Austin Booker
Austin Booker finished the 2025 season with 4.5 sacks, 35 total pressures, and 658 snaps despite a knee injury that cost him the first seven games.
One of his most dominant games came in the postseason where he put up five pressures and a sack in the Bears’ playoff win over Green Bay.
Year over year, the trajectory is pointing up. Pressures went from 10 to 35. The role expanded. The body is still changing (Booker added six pounds of muscle this offseason).
Ben Johnson noticed the physical difference at OTAs: “His body’s changed since he came in the building a year ago,” Johnson said. “He continues to add more mass and become a stronger player.”
The stakes are real
GettyBears Edge Rusher Austin Booker
Dayo Odeyingbo ($48M, three years) and Shemar Turner are both recovering from season ending injuries.
Their returns are expected, but neither has logged meaningful snaps in months. There’s real uncertainty about whether either can contribute at the level the Bears need from jump.
That leaves the pass rush picture looking something like: Montez Sweat at full force, and everyone else to be determined.
If Austin Booker becomes a legit second option, the Chicago Bears defense becomes dangerous.
The Bears were 29th in pressure rate last season. That cannot hold if they want a Super Bowl run. Their secondary got exposed late in games specifically because the defensive front couldn’t generate heat without dialing up extra rushers.
Now counting on Booker as a starter is still a bet. His 4.5 sacks came in 10 regular season games, and more than half of those came in a three game stretch late in the year.
Still, the OTA hype, the weight room gains, the coaching staff’s trust, all of that points to a player who’s ready to be more than a depth piece. The real question is whether he can be great consistently, over a full 17 game season.
The Chicago Bears made a call this offseason: They believe their pass rush answer is already on the roster. If Austin Booker validates that, Chicago’s defense gets dangerous. If he doesn’t, the offensive fireworks that Ben Johnson’s scheme provides may not be enough cover.
That’s what makes him the X-factor.
Bears’ Biggest X-Factor for 2026 Isn’t Who You Think It Is