The Chicago Bears may have gotten another glimpse of what their $30 million investment at linebacker can bring to the defense.
Devin Bush made one of the biggest plays of Tuesday’s training camp practice, according to Eli Ong, intercepting Tyson Bagent and returning it all the way inside the opposite 20 yard line…
The Bears gave the veteran linebacker a three year, $30 million contract in free agency after he put together the best season of his career with the Cleveland Browns in 2025. Now with training camp underway, Bush is starting to show why the Bears signed him in the first place.
Bush is already making plays in Chicago
GettyBears LB Devin Bush
Devin Bush has always had the athletic ability to turn defensive plays into big gains. The Bears know that. Bush himself described speed as his biggest strength when he spoke with the team after signing.
“That’s my strength, that’s my play style, that’s just how I’ve always been,” Bush said.
The Bears need him to cover ground, make plays in coverage and create turnovers when opportunities appear. So far, that looks like a pretty good match.
There is a reason Devin Bush’s 2025 season was so significant…
The former first round pick had gone through some difficult years after suffering an ACL injury early in his career. But his time in Cleveland offered a completely different version of the player.
Bush started every game, produced a career high number of tackles and became a legitimate playmaker in coverage. Chicago is betting that season wasn’t a fluke. That’s a pretty important bet.
The Chicago Bears’ defense finished 29th in total defense in 2025 despite Chicago winning 11 games and reaching the divisional round.
Now Chicago needs the new look defense under coordinator Dennis Allen to play faster and create more negative plays and turnovers. Bush’s skill set gives the Bears a linebacker who can potentially do all three.
And Tuesday’s interception is exactly the type of play that makes the investment look more interesting.
Obviously, one training camp interception doesn’t mean Bush is suddenly headed for an All-Pro season. Bagent and the running back appeared to be on different pages on the play, according to Ong’s observation, so there was some miscommunication involved.
But Bush still had to recognize the opportunity, get himself into position and finish the play. That’s what Chicago paid for.
Will it hold up?
GettyBears LB Devin Bush
The bigger question now is whether these flashes become a consistent part of the defense once the regular season begins.
If they do, Devin Bush could end up being one of the most important additions the Chicago Bears made this offseason.
Chicago already knows what it can get from veteran linebacker T.J. Edwards, while D’Marco Jackson and the rest of the linebacker room provide additional options. But Bush brings a different level of speed and playmaking ability to the group.
The Bears didn’t give Bush $30 million because they expected him to be merely solid. They paid him because they believed the player who showed up in Cleveland last season could become a major piece of their defense.
Through training camp, there are signs that version of Bush is still there.
And if he keeps producing plays like Tuesday’s interception, Chicago may find out that its biggest linebacker investment of the offseason was one of its smartest moves.
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