The Chicago Bears desperately needed help with their pass rush heading into the offseason, and they proceeded to land one of the most intriguing edge rushers on the free-agent market in Dayo Odeyingbo.
Odeyingbo spent the first four seasons of his career with the Indianapolis Colts and had one very impressive year with the Colts in particular, which came in 2023 when he racked up 38 tackles and eight sacks. But otherwise, his production was rather ordinary.
Parker Hurly of Bear Goggles On recently published an article expressing concern over the Bears' pass-rushing depth and wondered if Odeyingbo's strong campaign with Indianapolis was an "outlier" based on his other three NFL seasons.
Odeyingbo has amassed a grand total of 16.5 sacks thus far in his career, and last year, he finished with 31 tackles and three sacks before hitting the open market. That isn't exactly impressive, although it should be noted that he tallied 17 quarterback hits, which was the the same number as his eight-sack season in 2023.
So, is there reason to be concerned about Odeyingbo? Well, it depends on your expectations.
If you are expecting the 25-year-old to be Lawrence Taylor, then yeah; maybe you should dial it back a bit. But there is no reason why Odeyingbo can't establish himself as a very productive member of Chicago's pass rush right off the bat.
He clearly has potential, and even if he only managed a few sacks in 2024, he was obviously getting to the quarterback. He just needs to do a better job of closing the deal.
Odeyingbo certainly seems like a potential breakout player heading into 2025, and it's entirely possible that a new system will pay massive dividends for the former second-round pick.
-1750277910-q80.webp "49ers training camp report dates: Rookies July 15, vets July 22; Joint practices with Broncos, Raiders")
-1749088911-q80.webp "Boston Red Sox Use Historic Comeback To Power Them To 11-9 Win")
