Chicago Bears fans have waited over two years for this moment, but it has finally happened: Austin Booker is having his breakout season.
Booker has been a dominant preseason star for the Bears, but it hasn't really translated to the regular season. Last year, an injury cost him the first half of the year, but he still finished with 12 quarterback hits and 4.5 sacks in 10 games.
That was enough to get everyone excited about a potential breakout 2026 season, but we needed to see him do it over a full year. So far, that's proven true, and Week 8 provided the latest evidence.
Austin Booker is becoming everything Bears fans waited three seasons to see
Chicago got a massive 34-17 statement win over the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night, thanks to a dominant defense. While new arrival Jeffery Simmons got all the attention with his dominant performance, Booker didn't do too badly himself.
Booker came up big in the second half with arguably the two biggest plays of the game. First, he blocked a key field goal to keep the score from becoming a one-possession lead. He also tipped a Sam Darnold ball into the air, which James Lynch eventually picked off for the game-sealing touchdown.
Booker finished with three tackles, three quarterback pressures, one pass deflection, one blocked field goal, and one run stop. It was the kind of impact game that the Bears hoped for, but it was more than they expected.
In eight games this season, Booker has racked up 23 tackles, 13 pressures, seven hurries, six quarterback hits, five tackles for loss, four sacks, one pass deflection, one forced fumble, and one blocked field goal. He has started in two of those eight games.
Pro Football Focus ranks him the 32nd-highest-graded defensive end among 111 eligible players, with a 73.1 overall grade. He also has a pass-rush grade of 57.7 (ranked 89th) and a run-defense grade of 72.6 (ranked 23rd).
How Austin Booker can keep the momentum going the rest of 2026
Simmons' addition has been huge for the Bears' pass rush, so that will only open up more opportunities for him. Even before Simmons, though, Booker was showing he had finally arrived for Chicago consistently.
In the loss to the Green Bay Packers earlier this year, Booker was one of the few bright spots for the team. He had a moment, sacking Jordan Love on back-to-back plays before halftime.
When Dayo Odeyingbo and Montez Sweat were out the two games before the Seahawks showdown, Booker made a difference. He might not have gotten a sack, but he put plenty of pressure on the quarterback and helped his other linemen, like Daniel Hardy, create opportunities.
Odeyingbo is still on IR, and despite Sweat being back, Booker is finding himself to be more than just in the conversation at defensive end. He should continue to get more playing time as the year goes on, with Lynch, Hardy, and Shemar Turner getting reps off the edges as well.
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All signs point to a career season for Booker, with the team arriving at the right time to be a Super Bowl contender. Now it's a matter of finishing the last nine games the way he's started the year.
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