The Chicago Bears have begun practicing ahead of their Week 6 Monday Night showdown against the Washington Commanders, as the good news regarding the team’s health continues to improve. On Tuesday, the team designated defensive end Austin Booker to return from injured reserve, as he was sidelined with a knee injury back in August during the second preseason game. Although Booker’s injury was costly from a production and depth standpoint for a Bears’ defensive line in dire need of both, the second-year defensive end’s injury could be very valuable for his long-term success in Dennis Allen’s defensive scheme.
Austin Booker’s injury may have came at the right time
During the 2024 NFL Draft, general manager Ryan Poles made the bold decision to trade back into the draft to select Austin Booker in the fifth round from Kansas. Although Booker went in the later part of the draft, there was significant interest in him, as many analysts believed he possessed the traits to be a very productive pass-rusher in the correct scheme. There was so much hype surrounding the defensive end and his potential ability that his draft comp was All-Pro Maxx Crosby, who has recorded 61.5 sacks during his seven-year career.
The hype surrounding Austin Booker seemed to come to fruition during last year’s preseason slate of games, as the rookie recorded over two and a half sacks in the three preseason contests. Unfortunately, the level of preseason production didn’t carry over to the 2024 regular season, as Booker only recorded one and a half sacks, with his lone full sack coming in a garbage time in a win against the Carolina Panthers. Throughout the season, fans and analysts were perplexed by the lack of production from the rookie defensive end.
Heading into the 2025 season there was hype surrounding Austin Booker once again due to the hiring of Dennis Allen and his long-standing ability to develop defensive linemen. During Allen’s 15 years as a defensive play-caller, he has helped develop and worked with some of the league’s best pass-rushers. That included Von Miller, Khalil Mack, Cameron Jordan, and Trey Hendrickson. It is the work with these elite pass-rushers that has given fans and analysts immense hope that the Bears’ new defensive play-caller can get the most out of Booker heading into his second season.
There was building hope for Booker as the defensive end recorded four sacks in the preseason before getting hurt. Following the Bears’ Week 5 bye, Austin Booker is slated to return, but his four weeks missed will likely prove beneficial for him and Allen.
Chicago’s defensive coordinator will now have five weeks of game film with his new defense to learn how to best deploy Booker in favorable situations to rush the passer.
For Booker, having five weeks of game film, not only allows him to better learn and understand Allen’s defensive scheme from watching on the sideline, but also enables him to rewatch his preseason film to better understand how he works within the scheme. Austin Booker has probably spent time looking back at the preseason film to find similarities in the four sacks he recorded against the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, and build off those similarities. Furthermore, Allen could look at his second-year pass-rusher and look to see what traits and defensive line formations gives the lineman the best chance at winning at the line of scrimmage.
If Booker can come back and have success in Allen’s defensive scheme, it will be immensely helpful for the specific scheme the defensive coordinator wants to run. The defensive play-caller runs a Cover-2 based defense, which is heavily reliant on pass-rush pressure from the defensive line, as it allows the back seven to drop back into pass coverage. Austin Booker having success would benefit the veterans along the line, especially Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo, who have combined for only two sacks in the Bears’ first four games.
Austin Booker is returning with a lot of positive momentum
With the impending return of not just Austin Booker, but also Kyler Gordon, it appears that the potential for more sacks will increase for Allen’s defense. In the Bears’ last two games, their defensive unit has recorded eight takeaways and six interceptions, despite struggle to consistently create pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Booker and Gordon returning Chicago’s defensive scheme as the team’s play-caller loves to generate pass-rush pressure either from his defensive line or through exotic blitzes by rushing defensive backs.
The increased ability to create interceptions paired with the return the key defensive back that Allen was keen on using in both pass and run defense, benefits Booker’s ability to rush the passer. Opposing quarterbacks going forward may be more hesitant in throwing down field, resulting in holding onto the ball too long and increasing the chance of being sacked. Furthermore, If Allen has plans to blitz Gordon to confuse opposing signal-callers, it may lead to the signal-caller running into Booker while trying to evade another pass-rusher.
Can Austin Booker make a difference right away?
The promising key to Austin Booker’s return and his ability to rush the passer is that there appears to be immense positive momentum. The Bears are playing several quarterbacks over the next few weeks that either lack mobility or are injured to the point that their mobility will be reduced. Whether be Jayden Daniels, Spencer Rattler, Lamar Jackson, or Joe Flacco, Booker will have an increased ability at sacking opposing due to decreased mobility.
Although Booker is designated to return, this doesn’t mean that he will for sure be back for Chicago’s next game against the Commanders. But if Booker does return, it will be a tremendous boost to the defense. The injury Booker suffered during the preseason is unfortunate, but the time off could be beneficial for him to better understand Allen’s defensive scheme while also understanding how he fits too. The Bears’ defensive line has struggled to consistently rush opposing quarterbacks during the team’s first four games, but with one of their defensive ends returning from injury, the pass rush has a chance to improve.
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