If the Chicago Bears wanted another edge-rusher on the roster as of late June, they could have one — though perhaps not the best one still available in free agency.
That player is Joey Bosa, most recently of the Buffalo Bills, according to Lester Wiltfong Jr. of Windy City Gridiron. Wiltfong ranked the 10-year NFL veteran ahead of Jadeveon Clowney (No. 2), Von Miller (No. 3), Denico Autry (No. 4) and Leonard Floyd (No. 5) as the best five pass-rushing options remaining for Chicago as of June 19.
“The soon-to-be 31-year-old [Bosa] is coming off a 5-sack, 5-forced fumble season for the Bills in 15 games (all starts),” Wiltfong wrote.
One roadblock in between the Bears and Bosa is interest other teams, including several in the NFC North Division alone, might have in inking the five-time Pro Bowler. The Green Bay Packers and new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s 3-4 base defense, for instance, make a good deal of sense as a flourishing environment for Bosa.
However, an even greater concern is that Bosa may not be interested in playing for anyone in 2026, as he is considering retiring from the sport despite still probably having multiple productive years left in front of him.
Joey Bosa ‘More Likely’ to Retire Than Play Another NFL Season
GettyPass-rusher Joey Bosa, formerly of the Buffalo Bills.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the news of Bosa’s potential retirement last week, and did so with a relative degree of certainty.
“It is more likely than not that Joey Bosa has played his last NFL down,” Schefter said. “Now, again, could a situation like the [San Francisco] 49ers come along that entices him enough to come out and play again? Yeah, absolutely.”
“But the fact of the matter is, I think if the Niners wanted to pair [the Bosa brothers] together, it probably would have happened already,” Schefter continued. “I think if Joey Bosa wanted to play football, it probably would have happened already.”
Bears Likely to Roll With Austin Booker as Second Starting Defensive End
GettyDefensive end Austin Booker of the Chicago Bears.
The same argument can be made for Chicago adding another pass-rusher already if that was in the team’s immediate plans.
The Bears’ lackluster pass rush in 2025, which generated 35 total sacks and one of the lowest pass rush win rates in the league, was arguably the single greatest area of needed improvement heading into the offseason. And yet, the team didn’t draft an edge-rusher, nor has it signed another one in free agency.
And there is only one reason any of that makes any sense — Chicago must believe strongly in the development and breakout production of third-year defensive end Austin Booker.
Booker played in 10 games last year, starting nine of them, after a preseason knee injury cost him the opening seven contests of the campaign. He finished 2025 with 12 quarterback hits, five tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, three pass breakups and a forced fumble.
The fifth-round pick in 2024 is likely to start opposite Montez Sweat come Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers on September 13. And if Booker remains healthy and productive, Chicago may not feel adding a veteran pass-rusher for situational purposes is necessary.
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