The more I look at Devin Bush, his profile, and what he brings to a defense, the more I like that the Chicago Bears were aggressive in signing the linebacker in free agency.
A well-timed career year for Bush allowed him to parlay his two-year stint with the Browns into a three-year contract with the Bears. But it’s not as if Bush was some one-year wonder:
Devin Bush could bring a new element to the Bears ?His 88.9 PFF grade over the past two years ranks 4th among all LBs ? pic.twitter.com/evTDM9czhm
— PFF (@PFF) March 20, 2026Bush, 27, was a first-round pick (10th overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2019 NFL Draft. While at the University of Michigan, Bush was one of college football’s most decorated defenders with a résumé that helps explain why he was a first-round pick in the first place:
Two-time All-American (Consensus All-American, 2018; 2nd team, 2017) Two-time first-team All-Big Ten (2017, 2018) Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2018) Big Ten Linebacker of the Year (2018))Unfortunately for Devin Bush, his collegiate excellence didn’t immediately translate to success in the pros. After spending time in Pittsburgh (2019-2022) and with the Seattle Seahawks (2023), Bush’s career didn’t truly begin to take off until he landed with the Cleveland Browns in 2024. I understand that the idea of someone’s career finding new life with the Browns seems unfathomable, but hear me out.
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Devin Bush contributed 76 total tackles (45 solo) and eight tackles-for-loss in his first year with Cleveland in 2024. However, he took a major leap in his second season, setting career highs in starts (17), total tackles (125), solo tackles (63), and quarterback hits (4). Bush also collected a pair of sacks, forced two fumbles (recovered one), snagged seven tackles-for-loss, intercepted three passes, and scored two pick-sixes. No wonder Bush was Pro Football Focus’ fourth-highest-graded linebacker over the last two seasons.
© Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images2026 NFL Free Agency: Signing Devin Bush Looks Like a Smart Move
In a post by The Next Gen Stats Analytics Team, James Reber explains what makes Devin Bush and the Bears a perfect offseason pairing. I’ve broken down the excerpt into three distinct sections:
Dennis Allen’s defense is based out of Cover 2, which relies on highly athletic linebackers to account for significant space in the middle of the field. After releasing Tremaine Edmunds, the Bears were left with just two off-ball LBs on the roster who played 50+ snaps last season, and neither is a natural Cover 2 anchor.
Signing Devin Bush accomplished a few significant things. Firstly, it was a shift in defensive ideologies. Putting Bush and his speed in the middle of the defense was a notable step away from the size and length that former Bears coach Matt Eberflus valued out of his linebackers. Give credit to Bears Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen for doing what he could with players brought in for another scheme run by the previous regime.
I look forward to seeing what a better scheme fit can do in 2026.
MORE: How the Bears Rebuilt the Middle of Their Defense in Free Agency
Enter Bush, who allowed 0.49 yards per coverage snap last season, the second-fewest of any linebacker who logged at least 250 coverage snaps. He also recorded three interceptions (returning two for touchdowns) while allowing just one touchdown. He and Edmunds were two of the 14 LBs who were trusted to play man-to-man over 20% of the time, suggesting Allen will continue to cater to Bush’s strengths.
The section above does a superb job of explaining why a particular advanced metric has value, while also underscoring Devin Bush’s excellence in this category. Trying to pin down a player’s coverage ability with one catch-all stat isn’t an easy task. And while I don’t think a perfect number exists, the yards allowed per coverage snap stat gives us some much-appreciated context to what is perceived to be one of Bush’s strengths.
© Katie Stratman-Imagn ImagesBush was a lynchpin of the Browns’ run defense in 2025, as well, recording 75 run tackles, more than any Bears defender not named Roquan Smith in a single season over the last decade.
You know you’re doing something right at linebacker when you are getting favorable comparisons to Roquan Smith, a linebacker who knows a thing or two about finding their groove with a new team.
It hit me during the first half of the first Bears-Packers game (the one played at Lambeau Field) that adding speed needed to be a top priority for Chicago’s defense in the offseason. Not just fast guys for the sake of having fast guys, mind you. But instead, players who were fast, agile, and could cover every blade of grass on the gridiron. The Bears didn’t have enough of those types of players, so it makes sense that signing Devin Bush was a priority for this front office. Does it solve all of Chicago’s defensive issues? Nope. But does it help? Yep!
The praise the Bears receive for the Bush signing is deserved. Not only does he fit better in this scheme than Tremaine Edmunds, who he replaces in the lineup, but he also figures to fit well with whatever linebackers are next to him on the defense.
For instance, veteran T.J. Edwards could really attack downhill knowing that Devin Bush will have his back in coverage. D’Marco Jackson and Jack Sanborn are younger players with starting experience who could also feed off Bush. And in packages where the Bears need to sub out linebackers for defensive backs, Bush can stay on the field. In other words, Devin Bush gives this defense added versatility and could allow the defensive play caller to do some things he couldn’t do last season.
I look forward to seeing how it all comes together when the season kicks off in September.
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