Going into Chicago Bears training camp, there was one position which fans wanted to see Ryan Poles address even further: defensive end.
Chicago has long-needed more depth there, but Poles has remained confident in the current group. Still, as camp opened, the Bears announced the signing of veteran pass rusher Tanoh Kpassagnon.
A second-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2017, Kpassagnon actually has multiple ties to the current Bears regime. Whether he'll be an integral part of the unit might be a long shot, but there is a connection.
Tanoh Kpassagnon was an obvious signing for Ryan Poles and the Bears
Not only did Poles aid in drafting Kpassagnon back in 2017 (hello, Mitchell Trubisky) but new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen knows him from their time together in New Orleans. Last year, Kpassagnon appeared in just three games with the Saints due to starting the campaign recovering from a torn Achilles.
In his three full seasons with the Saints prior to the injury-shortened 2024, Kpassagnon totaled 9.5 sacks as a rotational pass rusher under Allen.
Unfortunately, this isn't exactly the signing Bears fans had hoped for. The hope was to sign someone more along the lines of Jadeveon Clowney. Even this late in his career, Clowney has proven to be an effective pass rusher and has been an immense contributor to a handful of teams.
The former no. 1 overall pick is still a free agent and all signs point to him playing in 2025, but at this point, it's tough to imagine him being with the Bears. Instead, Poles is putting his faith in the likes of Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo.
If an injury were to occur, though, Chicago would be in desperate need with Austin Booker, Daniel Hardy and Dominique Robinson being the next men up, along with Kpassagnon.