While the Chicago Bears have made plenty of adjustments to their roster, one area of concern that remains is the pass rush. The Bears could address those issues by taking advantage of the New York Giants’ roster crunch.
The Giants added arguably the best player in the 2025 draft class in Abdul Carter with the No. 3 overall pick. But now New York has Carter, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Brian Daboll and company could operate one of the more ferocious pass rushes in the league. But as they prepare for the Jaxson Dart era, adding more draft capital may be their higher prerogative.
In Adam Schatz of ESPN – and most of the NFL world’s eyes – Thibodeaux is the odd man out. With the Giants being urged to trade the pass rusher, the Bears must get involved in the sweepstakes.
“The Giants now have three starting edge rushers for two spots after drafting Abdul Carter to go along with Thibodeaux and Brian Burns,” Schatz wrote. “Thibodeaux has two years left on his rookie contract, and he’ll need an extension after the 2025 season. The team won’t want to pay him at the going price for starting edge rushers if he’s not going to be starting.”
“Yes, New York can use an edge rusher rotation and get plenty of value out of him. It can create a NASCAR-style package where one of its edge rushers moves inside on third down,” Schatz continued. “But the Giants can also trade Thibodeaux to a contender that needs help on the edge, such as the Packers or the Lions, and probably get a Day 2 pick in return. More draft capital would be a huge help for 2026 when they’ll be trying to find as many strong offensive players as possible to build around quarterback Jaxson Dart and wide receiver Malik Nabers.”
Chicago Bears pass rush situation
Montez Sweat is the unquestioned leader in terms of Chicago edge rushers. He led the team in sacks the past two seasons. However, that has meant just six and 5.5 respectively. The Bears are expecting Sweat to take a massive step forward under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and wreak havoc in the backfield.
Chicago signed Dayo Odeyingbo to a $48 million contract to start opposite Sweat. He is coming off of back-to-back 17 quarterback hit seasons, racking up 106 tackles, 46 quarterback hits and 16.5 sacks over his four years with the Indianapolis Colts. Fans haven’t seen much of Odeyingbo throughout the offseason program. But the Bears are expecting him to be a major part of the defense.
Behind those two options though are plenty of question marks. Players like Austin Booker, Dominique Robinson and Daniel Hardy will all be looking to make names for themselves during training camp. If any option impresses, perhaps Johnson decides to stick with what he has. But if the play isn’t up to his standards, the Bears can go another route.
How Kayvon Thibodeaux fits defense
Chicago would have to give up draft capital, which isn’t the best thing to do as you’re building a foundation. However, general manager Ryan Poles proved he was willing in his Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson deals. The bigger issue may be signing Thibodeaux to a long-term contract. But if the Bears are in the trade conversation at all, they’ve already considered how to remedy that issue.
Over his three-year career with the Giants, Thibodeaux has put up 127 tackles, 26 quarterback hits and 21 sacks. He had at least four sacks each season, hitting a peak of 11.5 in 2023. Thibodeaux matched Sweat’s 5.5 sacks in 2024, adding 17 quarterback hits. He earned a 72 overall pass rush grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking 35/211 edge rushers.
Allen would need to figure out the exact rotation with Thibodeaux in town. Perhaps Odeyingbo moves inside to send all three edge rushers at the quarterback. Maybe Thibodeaux comes in on clear passing downs, solely to get to the quarterback. Odeyingbo could in theory fill that role too. Overall, Bears fans have been clamoring for the team to add to their pass rush. Thibodeaux may be the best option theoretically available.
Theoretically is the key word there as Thibodeaux remains a member of the Giants. But if trade winds truly begin to blow, the Bears should be involved.
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