The Chicago Bears haven't caught a break at edge rusher this year. Austin Booker injured his knee in the preseason, robbing him of the first seven games. Next came Shemar Turner, who missed most of training camp with one injury and then tore his ACL last week in Baltimore. He was joined by Dominique Robinson, who has a high ankle sprain. Fans thought it couldn't get much worse. Well, they should know better than to tempt fate like that. Dayo Odeyingbo, who signed for $16 million per year this offseason, left the game against the Cincinnati Bengals with what was called an ankle injury.
Tests have revealed it was much worse than expected. Odeyingbo has torn his Achilles. He will require surgery and miss the rest of the season.
First and foremost, one can only feel bad for Odeyingbo. He'd been struggling through the first half of the season, unable to generate any consistent pressure. His biggest contribution was as a run defender. To have things end this way must leave a sour taste in his mouth. Additionally, it leaves the Bears dangerously thin up front.
Options to replace Dayo Odeyingbo are few.
Their only viable free agent option is DeMarcus Walker. He plays a similar style to Odeyingbo and is already familiar with the locker room. He'd be a welcome addition in that regard. Outside of that, the only path forward is the trade market. The deadline is Tuesday afternoon, and there are several potential edge rushers available. The problem for GM Ryan Poles is finding somebody who can help without giving away too much to get them. It doesn't feel like the Bears are eager to fork over a high draft choice for somebody they may not keep after this season.
This doesn't even cover what they do about Dayo Odeyingbo next year. Trading him is impossible and even cutting him is unlikely because of his contract. There is no telling when he will be healthy again. Achilles injuries take a long time to heal and even longer to fully recover from. There is a significant amount of work to be done to get this problem fixed.
