Ben Johnson seems to set proper expectations for Bears' Austin Booker

Chicago Bears defensive end Austin Booker is expected to have a strong Year 3 in the NFL after making good progress during his time.

Booker is coming off a season in which he missed the first half of the year with an injury and finished with 4.5 sacks in 10 games. Bears head coach Ben Johnson was asked about Booker's progression so far this offseason, and he offered some encouraging comments while also tempering everyone's high expectations.

"He is still a young player," Johnson said via CHGO. "His body is still developing. He continues to add more mass. The coaching is going to be really conducive to his style."

Austin Booker will be good, but is still developing as a defender

Over the last two preseasons, Booker dominated, putting up big numbers, including four sacks last year. The concern for Booker is that he's a preseason star but hasn't shown as much against starters in the regular season.

Last year was a good second season for Booker, and Bears fans wished he had been healthy for the full season so they could have seen the final numbers he would have put up. According to Pro Football Focus, Booker recorded 29 pressures and 16 quarterback hurries, earning an overall grade of 61.8 and ranking 76th out of 115 edge rushers.

The good news is that Booker is getting better each season, as the Bears have high hopes that he will have the breakout season they have been waiting for. Chicago showed confidence in Booker by electing not to sign, draft, or trade for an edge rusher during the long offseason.

Read more: Bears' 2026 prediction would be gut punch Chicago couldn't handle

This could be the season where Booker either earns a big payday or might be reduced to a backup with the Bears looking for help next offseason. The same could be said for the rest of the edge rushers on the team, but the focus is on Booker in 2026.

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