Every Chicago Bears fan is united on one thing that general manager Ryan Poles needs to do at some point in the 2026 season: add an edge rusher.
Poles has faced criticism for not adding an edge rusher during the offseason through free agency, trade, or the draft, with the only significant move being their re-signing of Daniel Hardy. ESPN NFL analyst Aaron Schatz believes the final roster move the Bears need to make before the season begins is for them to sign edge rusher Joey Bosa.
"You're going to notice a trend in the NFC North, where all four teams could probably use another veteran pass rusher. The Bears got 4.5 sacks out of Austin Booker in 10 games last season, but Dayo Odeyingbo was disappointing with just a single sack in eight games after signing a big contract to come over from Indianapolis.
Bosa had a 12.2% pass rush win rate last season, 26th among qualifying edge rushers, to go along with five sacks for Buffalo. He has played most of his career with his hand on the ground, so he's probably the best fit for Chicago's 4-3 base out of the top three available veteran pass rushers."
Ryan Poles will find a way to not follow the advice to sign Joey Bosa
Bosa has had a great NFL career with the Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills, with 77 sacks and five Pro Bowl appearances to his resume. While injuries have played a part in his career, last season with the Bills saw him be more of a situational pass rusher, which worked perfectly for him.
Despite every Bears fan hoping that Bosa gets signed by the team, Poles seems to have zero interest in making that kind of move. If he didn't sign anyone through the first four months of the offseason, why would he change his mind now?
The Bears are hanging onto hope that Booker and Odeyingbo are going to be able to step up and be the next guys in line with Montez Sweat. Booker seems to have the team's full confidence as the future at the position, but Odeyingbo is up in the air after just one sack in eight games last season.
Read more: Bears seem to have a home run signing already with former UFL star
Poles looked elsewhere to spend his money, and now he is at a point where the Bears can't afford to really sign any of the top edge rushers without making some roster moves to create cap space. Everyone has to accept that he is not going to do anything, and for at least the beginning of the 2026 season, the hopes of the pass rush are on Booker and Odeyingbo's shoulders.
Add us as a preferred source on Google