INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (670 The Score) — The NFL is a copycat league, one that tends to follow trends established by the best.
The Super Bowl champion Eagles reminded 31 other teams of the importance of having a deep, dynamic pass rush. They flustered star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in a blowout win in the Super Bowl, pressuring him on 45% of his dropbacks in the first three quarters. By that point, the game was already long over.
Mahomes was sacked six times and hit on 11 dropbacks by seven different Eagles in the Super Bowl. What made the effort especially impressive was that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio – the Bears' defensive coordinator from 2015-'18 – didn't dial up a single blitz.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles paid attention to how the Eagles dismantled the Chiefs, for whom he worked from 2009-'21. As Poles forms plans for his team this offseason, he has Philadelphia’s success in mind.
The Bears have vowed to fortify their pass rush this offseason.
“You can't have enough good ones,” Poles said. “I think we all watched that last game of the season, and that proves to be true. You want to see how you could put the puzzle together where you can kind of fill all the needs perfectly.”
The Bears’ puzzle is missing pieces. Defensive end Montez Sweat had just 5.5 sacks in 2024 as he was slowed by nagging ailments, and the Bears didn't have a difference-maker on the other edge. Chicago’s defense generated quarterback hurries at a 7.4% clip, which ranked in the bottom half of the NFL.
If they wanted to be really aggressive, the Bears’ pursuit of a pass rusher could start with Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett, who requested a trade earlier in February. While Cleveland is intent on keeping Garrett – a future Hall of Famer who has 102.5 sacks in 117 career games – he'll be a top commodity as others teams make their offseason plans.
On Tuesday, Bears head coach Ben Johnson steered away from Garrett when asked about that trade possibility.
"Yeah, talking to (defensive coordinator Dennis Allen) has been very enlightening because we share the same mindset when it comes to defensive football, which is we want to affect the passer,” Johnson said. “There's a lot of ways to do that. Certainly, up front the pass rush is the primary thing you think of, but also on the back end, it's challenging the receivers and disrupting the timing.
“Absolutely, we want to upgrade the pass rush and we also want on the back end to come up and lock down receivers as well. So, it's the fine balance and marriage between the rush and coverage that we are looking to augment.”
The high cost to acquire Garrett might be too rich for the Bears. He's also likely a better fit for a team that's one piece away from being a championship contender. Chicago’s roster has a handful of other glaring needs to address in addition to edge rusher.
The top free agent pass rusher available is Josh Sweat, who had 2.5 sacks for the Eagles in the Super Bowl. Sweat is 27 years old and had eight sacks in the 2024 season.
Poles indicated he’s willing to be more aggressive in free agency if a player hits “all the check boxes.” Sweat is an example of that but will likely command nearly $20 million per year.
Beyond Sweat in free agency, there’s also a familiar figure in Khalil Mack, who played for the Bears from 2018-'21. Mack had just six sacks in 2024 but had 17 sacks in 2023. Poles traded Mack to the Chargers in March 2022 in a move that signaled the start of a rebuild in Chicago.
Mack turned 34 last week but is a veteran player who takes excellent care of his health. There’s reason to believe he can still be a disruptive player.
A two-year deal for Mack would fit within second-year quarterback Caleb Williams' rookie contract window. That would create a strong pairing with Montez Sweat without jeopardizing the Bears' salary cap sheet in the long term.
Poles is also willing to select a talented pass rusher with the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL Draft if the right one is available. He sees the Bears’ offseason needs – pass rusher, defensive tackle and offensive line – aligned with the strengths of the free agency class and draft class.
There's a winning blueprint in Philadelphia to follow, one that reminded the NFL that defensive line depth can be a driving force in a championship season. Now, it’s time for Poles and the Bears to get to work.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.