Ben Johnson didn't mince words about what he needs from his top two edge rushers

Through the first eight weeks in the 2025 NFL regular season, the Bears have struggled to apply consistent pressure on quarterbacks. 

In seven games played, the Bears’ defense has generated just 14 sacks, the 25th lowest in the league. Interior defensive lineman Gervon Dexter Sr. leads the team with 3.5 sacks. 

Defensive ends Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo rank second and tied for fourth, respectively, when it comes to sacks on this Bears team. Sweat makes $24.5 million annually, while Odeyingo earns $16 million per year. Dexter is still on his rookie contract and currently makes $1,680,933 annually. 

The Bears have heavily invested in Sweat and Odeyingbo, and the two have plenty more to prove for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen this season. 

What is needed from Sweat and Odeyingbo to improve in 2025 for the Bears

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson provided his assessment of Sweat and Odeyingbo during his media availability. 

“I think Sweat has started to ascend over the last few games,” Johnson said. “I'm pretty pleased with how he's playing. Dayo has been really good as an interior rusher, and I thought he played a really strong game last week in the run game. It was his best game yet this season, but on the edge, we're still working on that.”

It’s clearly still a work in progress, and the lack of pass rush goes beyond the Bears’ top two edge rushers. It’s a topic that forced the Bears’ head coach to really think about how to find ways to improve the overall pass rush. 

“That's a deep question,” Johnson said. “We've got to capitalize on the opportunities when guys get one-on-one, on a tackle, or on a guard. That's really what it comes down to. If it's a play action, then we have to transition to rushers fast. … I do think, when you look at our third-down numbers, that's indicative of how our pass rush, maybe not from a sack perspective, but from a pressure perspective, has been able to influence the quarterback and affect him. 

Not everyone agrees with this statement, but the hits and the pressures are equally important to me as the sacks are. I would love to be leading the league in sacks right now, but affecting the quarterback is really important for us. And, when I look at those true drop-back situations, that's what I'm looking at more than anything, is how much we're affecting the quarterback.”

According to Pro Football Focus, Sweat leads the team with 23 total pressures. Odeyingbo is tied for third with Jaquan Brisker and Dominque Robinson with nine total pressures. Robinson sustained a high ankle injury in the loss to the Ravens that will force him to miss some time, but he only rushed the quarterback on 69 pass rush snaps compared to Odeyingbo’s 183, and still tied for the same amount of pressures. 

What’s alarming is that opposing teams are not willing to let Odeyingbo and Sweat have one-on-one opportunities, since they are not taking advantage and winning those matchups. 

The chart below, from ESPN NFL Analyst Seth Walder, shows the double-team and chip rates against edge rushers, along with the success those players have against those protections. Sweat and Odeyingbo are in the lower left quadrant. 

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With 10 games left in the Bears’ regular season, the Bears’ top edge rushers need to start making their impact felt for a defense that is currently dealing with a handful of injuries. If Sweat and Odeyingbo can’t elevate their play, opposing quarterbacks are going to continue to dissect this defense one pass at a time.