The Chicago Bears won over many fans in 2025 with their impressive performances under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. The coach went from being the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator to the top of the Bears’ coaching staff and didn’t look back, getting the absolute most out of quarterback Caleb Williams.
For next season, however, there’s one free agency move that could get Chicago even deeper into the playoffs.
EDGE Joey Bosa Will Be a Solid Addition to Bears’ Defense
Johnson turned one of the worst NFL franchises in recent history into a spectacle of electric offense. The Bears’ playoff run was carried by Williams and the offense, which earned notoriety for its comeback victories in 2025.
While it was an impressive showing that garnered plenty of love from the football community, there’s much to be said for the team, whose defense ranked 22nd in the league according to PFSN’s Defense Impact Metric.
General manager Ryan Poles has done an admirable job this offseason of addressing key defensive shortcomings. He signed safety Coby Bryant and linebacker Devin Bush, and drafted college star Dillon Thieneman. However, the pass-rushing corps wasn’t a very big focus.
As such, PFSN’s Jacob Infante believes Poles and the company should go after five-time Pro Bowler Joey Bosa to bolster the defensive line for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
“In his first season away from the Chargers, Joey Bosa led the NFL with five forced fumbles and also tallied five sacks with the Bills in 2025,” Infante wrote. “Injuries have slowed him down, but he’s still a high-level rotational piece who would benefit a contending team as a late free agent signing.”
The Bears held opponents to fewer than 20 points only seven times last season, including the playoffs. Additionally, they conceded more than 40 points three times, including a 52-point disaster against the Lions in Week 2.
While Montez Sweat carried the bulk of the defensive line workload, recording 10.0 sacks, the defense generally struggled to keep up in high-scoring games that often got out of hand. Chicago’s 31-27 Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers perfectly demonstrated some of the defense’s key shortcomings.
Adding an experienced piece like Bosa to the fold will undoubtedly secure a solid pass rush. As a 10-year veteran, Bosa will be 31 by the time the season kicks off; however, his age and experience make him an ideal rotational piece behind Sweat and Austin Booker.
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Bosa, who is a five-time Pro Bowler, proved his mettle across the first six years of his career, during which he recorded 10+ sacks in four seasons. According to PFSN’s EDGE Impact Metric, he posted an impact score of 94.7 in 2020, ranking third in the league. Last season he ranked 38th with an impact score of 78.7.
Injuries derailed the last four years of his career, as he started only 33 games. This past season provided some optimism, though, as he started 15 games, suggesting he can add value to the Bears.
