The news that Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat has been suspended rocked an already-struggling defense, but it will give Austin Booker the opportunity he's been waiting for.
Sweat was suspended by the NFL for two games for violating the NFL’s Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy. This means that he won't play in Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons and Week 7 against the New England Patriots.
Chicago is coming off an embarrassing 31-7 loss to the New England Patriots, in which their defense got rocked, allowing over 400 yards and four 40+ yard plays. Booker was the bright spot of that game and now has a chance to show he is the future at defensive end.
Austin Booker can take over the top edge rusher on Bears after Montez Sweat suspension
There is a legitimate argument that Booker was already the top pass rusher on the Bears through five games this season. Booker has racked up 14 tackles, nine pressures, six quarterback hits, five tackles for loss, four sacks, three quarterback hurries, and one forced fumble in five games.
Pro Football Focus gave Booker an overall grade of 79.6, ranking 16th out of 106 qualified defensive ends. He also has a pass-rush grade of 62.0 (ranked 56th) and a run-defense grade of 66.5 (ranked 37th)
Last season, the signs were there that Booker could be a great defensive end, as he missed the first half of the season due to injury, but then came back at the right time when Dayo Odeyingbo was lost for the season. Booker had 4.5 sacks in 10 games with nine starts.
This year, Booker hasn't started any of the games, with Odeyingbo getting most of the starts at defensive end, with Sweat on the other side. The Packers game, despite it being horrendous for fans to watch, did give Booker a chance to shine with back-to-back sacks before halftime.
Booker has the potential to be a great defensive end, but over the years, he's been labeled as more of a preseason standout than a regular-season contributor. The last two years are starting to diminish that, but he still needs more consistency.
Sweat will miss two games, and Odeyingbo is dealing with a quad injury he suffered in the Packers game. Booker might be the only top guy off the edge the Bears can lean on in pass-rushing situations.
In the offseason, the Bears had high expectations for Booker and, behind closed doors, believed he could be an impact player on this defense. While they did call about Maxx Crosby, their belief in Booker's breakout potential in 2026 is a big reason they held off on adding more edge rusher talent.
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If there was any time for Booker to take over as the Bears' top pass rusher, this is it. The Bears need to see it from him now as they decide what to do with him in the future. It's his time to shine for the next two games.
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