Bears Urged to Sign Future Hall of Famer Von Miller as Final Piece for Defense

The biggest remaining weakness on the Chicago Bears roster is arguably at edge rusher, and with training camp set to kick off in less than two months, the options that GM Ryan Poles can choose from for an upgrade are thin, at best.

But one potential solution who can become a formidable running mate for Montez Sweat remains unsigned, and while he's certainly in the twilight of his career, it's a tenure that is destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Von Miller.

Miller was recently linked to the Bears as a free-agent fit among the crop of veterans who remain unsigned.

"Now 36 years old and coming off back-to-back years of playing about 25% of defensive snaps in Buffalo, N.Y., Miller is clearly best suited as a rotational piece at this stage of his career," Pro Football Sports Network's Brandon Austin wrote. "Last season, 77% of his snaps were on passing downs. The Bears could use exactly that kind of situational pass-rush help behind the starters."

Adding Miller on a team-friendly one-year deal would be the definition of a no-risk proposition. Expectations for the former Denver Bronco and Buffalo Bill would be reasonable; they'd have to be for a player of his age and recent injury history.

But as PFSN noted, if Miller could be counted on to line up solely on passing downs and be charged with simply hunting the quarterback, there's a chance he could find the fountain of youth and at least be as productive as he was in 2024 when he registered six sacks.

The Chicago Bears could do a lot worse than signing Von Miller at or near the end of training camp. The alternatives -- like starting Austin Booker, for example -- aren't great.