General manager Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears could take some big swings to add a pass rusher opposite Montez Sweat this offseason.
Poles and the Bears need to bolster a defensive line that struggled to generate much front-four pressure, and Chicago just watched the Philadelphia Eagles’ front four obliterate Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
Armed with the fourth-most cap space in the NFL, in an offseason where Myles Garrett might be available via trade and Khalil Mack is expected to be the premier pass rusher available in free agency, along with a top-10 draft pick, the Bears are positioned to be aggressive in hopes of landing an immediate impact player to drop opposite Sweat.
Could the Chicago Bears make a play for Joey Bosa?
While Garrett may struggle to even talk his way out of Cleveland, and a bidding war could develop for Mack’s services, Poles and the Bears may find an unexpected free agent available this offseason who could be a major upgrade of the defense’s glaring weakness.
Tyler Brooke of The 33rd Team put together a list of the teams most likely to sign Joey Bosa, if he’s released by the Los Angeles Chargers before free agency begins, including the Bears.
“[Ben] Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles can use their draft capital,” Brooke writes for The 33rd Team . “To keep surrounding Caleb Williams with talent on offense while using some of their nearly $65 million in cap space to add to the trenches. Bosa should be a top target if he becomes available as a proven pass rusher who won’t break the bank, giving the Bears some long-term flexibility at EDGE while still getting after quarterbacks in 2025.”
Bosa could become a cap casualty for the Chargers, who could be looking to get younger at the position, which has the potential to be a boon for the Bears.
Through his first nine seasons, Bosa has produced 72 sacks with 343 total tackles, and is coming off five sacks in 14 games last season.
Bosa isn’t likely to break the bank or be a long-term solution for the Bears, but he’d be an immediate impact addition at the top of the depth chart. If paired with one of the top pass rushers in this year’s class, Chicago could be on its way to building a dominant edge-rushing unit.