When the Chicago Bears made the inevitable move to part with linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, they needed someone to replace their leading tackler from last season. They quickly found that man in free agency, signing Devin Bush to a three-year, $30 million deal.
The Bears got an up-close look at Bush when the Cleveland Browns visited Soldier Field last season. While his numbers weren't eye-popping (two tackles), the visit clearly made an impression on him.
Bush is coming off the best season of his career, highlighted by 125 total tackles and three interceptions (including two pick-sixes). That can make for a dangerous investment in free agency, paying for what looks like a career year, but Bush was also a top-10 graded linebacker by Pro Football Focus in 2024.
The biggest difference between the two campaigns for Bush was his snap share (49 percent over 16 games in 2024; 83 percent over all 17 games last season), as the Browns seemingly recognized what they had.
Devin Bush and Dennis Allen are lined up to be a very happy marriage
Jonathan Macri of PFF outlined some fantasy IDP (Individual Defensive Player) risers from free agency, and Bush made the list.
"This past year was a resurgent season for Bush and both his IDP and NFL value after several seasons where that former first-round draft value was floundering, as he mostly acted as a depth option for his teams. However, Bush played the most defensive snaps (873) in a season since his rookie year (889), allowing for a career-best LB22 finish on the season."Â
"Bush delivered across the board, both in his PFF grades and his tackling ability, cracking the 85th percentile in tackles versus expected as one of the most efficient players at his position. He did this without a true every-down role, averaging 83% of Cleveland's defensive snaps on the season next to Carson Schwesinger. Bush will now likely play an LB2 role again in Chicago next to T.J. Edwards, though it’s a better scenario than returning to being a depth option again. Making this better than the average LB2 spot is that Dennis Allen’s defense relied on two full-time linebackers last season, which is encouraging for Bush should they continue with that tendency."
"There’s no guarantee that Bush will be as efficient as he was in 2025, especially in a new defense and considering that hasn’t been the norm for his NFL career, but landing in a spot where he’s going to get strong playing time should have him in play as a weekly starting option in deeper IDP formats."
Next Gen Stats took it a step further, naming Bush and the Bears one of eight perfect team and player pairings after the first wave of free agent signings.
"Dennis Allen’s defense is based out of Cover 2, which relies on highly athletic linebackers to account for significant space in the middle of the field. After releasing Tremaine Edmunds, the Bears were left with just two off-ball LBs on the roster who played 50+ snaps last season, and neither is a natural Cover 2 anchor.
"Enter Bush, who allowed 0.49 yards per coverage snap last season, the second-fewest of any linebacker who logged at least 250 coverage snaps. He also recorded three interceptions (returning two for touchdowns) while allowing just one touchdown. He and Edmunds were two of the 14 LBs who were trusted to play man-to-man over 20% of the time, suggesting Allen will continue to cater to Bush's strengths. Bush was a lynchpin of the Browns’ run defense in 2025, as well, recording 75 run tackles, more than any Bears defender not named Roquan Smith in a single season over the last decade."
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Bush was one of the best coverage linebackers in the league last season, while also being a thumper against the run. Dennis Allen's defensive scheme revived Edmunds last season, and there's a strong argument they've upgraded next to T.J. Edwards amid a broader reconstruction of the middle of their defense.