The Chicago Bears have not had the best luck in the injury department so far this offseason. Their big $40 million free-agent signing, Coby Bryant, is currently on a six- to eight-month recovery plan from a hyper-extended left knee. Cornerback Kyler Gordon has yet to participate in any drills this offseason as he’s currently sidelined with a calf injury. The Bears then faced another huge blow to their defense when defensive end Montez Sweat left practice with the team trainers on August 6th after sustaining an injury.
In positive news for Chicago, Sweat returned to the field for the team’s 14th practice of Training Camp on Sunday.
While this is very good news for one of the team’s top defensive stars, the initial injury scare was a reality check.
Bears Failed To Bring In Established Edge Rushers
GettyChicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat led the team with 10 sacks in 2025.
Chicago’s defensive line is perhaps the most unproven unit on the team. If Sweat were to miss time, the team would mainly be relying on third-year edge Austin Booker. While Booker has shown promise and is expected to have a breakout this season, the absence of Sweat would allow opposing teams to key on Booker as he attempts to ascend.
Luckily, Sweat appears to be fine following the injury; however, the question is now raised whether the team should invest in more depth along the line to prevent catastrophe if another injury were to occur.
During the offseason, Chicago was rumored to be in various trade talks for some of the league’s top edge-rush talent. Common names heard were Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett, and Josh Sweat.
After the team failed to bring in any pre-established talent, it was believed that the 2026 NFL Draft would be where they would add more talent. Yet, the only line help they brought in was defensive tackle Jordan Van den Berg in the sixth round.
While this lack of attention to the team’s front seven drew criticism, it appears that general manager Ryan Poles and the front office may have hit on their final selection in the draft.
Jordan Van den Berg Standing Out Following Preseason Performance
GettyThe Chicago Bears selected defensive tackle Jordan Van den Berg with the 213th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Since joining the team, Van den Berg has reportedly been shooting up the depth chart.
Van den Berg’s biggest calling card was not necessarily his production at Georgia Tech, but his freakish athleticism.
ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler reported following the draft that “Several of his testing numbers hit the highest mark on the Bears’ internal scouting scale. My sense is the Bears have plans for him beyond that of a typical sixth-round flier and believe he was one of more gifted defensive tackles in the draft.”
Van den Berg’s Raw Athletic Score was historically great.
“He scored a 10.00 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 2 out of 2098 DT from 1987 to 2026.”
The biggest question would be if Chicago could help translate Van den Berg’s raw athleticism into professional-level production. The answer so far: yes.
In Van den Berg’s first true NFL action during Week 1 of the preseason, he recorded three quarterback hits and a run stuff.
The explosiveness he offers the interior of Chicago’s front is tantalizing and could be a big factor this season.
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