Chicago Bears Activate Promising Young Edge Rusher Ahead Of Week 9 Clash With Bengals
The Chicago Bears are getting a timely reinforcement for their defensive line. Head coach Ben Johnson announced that second-year defensive end Austin Booker will be activated from the injured reserve list this week, clearing the way for his 2025 season debut against the Cincinnati Bengals. His return provides a much-needed potential spark for a pass rush that has struggled to generate consistent pressure.
Chicago Bears Austin Booker Looked Great In The Preseason
Booker, a fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft, landed on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury during the preseason. Before getting hurt, he was one of the team’s most exciting players, leading the league with four sacks in less than two full preseason games. The Bears are optimistic that his explosive first step and pass-rushing instincts can translate to regular-season success and invigorate a struggling unit.
Bears’ Pass-Rushing Struggles
The need for Booker’s presence has become even more critical in recent weeks. Chicago’s defense currently has the eighth-fewest sacks in the league (14) and entered Week 8 with the NFL’s third-worst pass-rush win rate at just 30%. The defensive end group was further depleted in the recent loss to the Baltimore Ravens, where rookie Shemar Turner suffered a season-ending ACL tear and Dominique Robinson sustained a high-ankle sprain that will sideline him for several weeks.
Injuries Create Opportunity for Booker
To make room on the 53-man roster for Booker, the team will likely place Turner on injured reserve. This unfortunate series of events has created a clear opportunity for Booker to step in and immediately earn snaps in the defensive line rotation.
What Booker’s Return Means for the Bears’ Defense
While it’s a lot to ask a young player coming off a significant injury to single-handedly fix the pass-rushing woes, Booker’s return is a significant development. If he can replicate even a fraction of the disruption he showed in August, he will provide a huge boost for a Bears defense in desperate need of a playmaker on the edge.
