Bears General Manager Ryan Poles says Austin Booker’s development has been a long time coming.
As part of a larger discussion with the Hoge and Jahns Podcast, Poles had some interesting things to say about Booker. I’ll lead with this, which frames the rising third-year player’s development going into Year 3 as a pro as something that truly began last summer:
“If you go back to training camp last year, he was starting to make his surge and make a splash. And you can see his development come along. He’s spent a lot of time working on his body, getting stronger, and that’s really where he needed to go to improve his game, and he’s started to show that again this preseason. Once we see some different opponents, I think we’re going to see him come alive.”
For the full podcast episode featuring Bears General Manager Ryan Poles, you can watch the video below:
It’s Finally Austin Booker’s Time to Shine
Even though Austin Booker is listed behind Dayo Odeyingbo on the Bears’ unofficial depth chart released by the team earlier this week, it sure seems like the 23-year-old edge defender is set to get a starter’s load when the regular season kicks off in September. An injury limited Booker to just 10 regular-season games in 2025, but he was a difference-maker once he got going. Booker’s last four games of the regular season saw him collect 3.5 sacks, 6 quarterback hits, and 3 tackles-for-loss. That late-season heater spilled over into the Bears’ playoff win against the Green Bay Packers, in which Booker picked up another sack, another TFL, and a pair of quarterback hits.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND THE NFL?
What’s next for Booker? We can start with an increased snap share. Booker should get significantly more snaps than Odeyingbo, who might be better off in a rotational role deployed as someone who can rush from the inside on clear passing downs. Moreover, Booker should be the Bears’ primary edge rusher, starting opposite Montez Sweat. I imagine that is something that Chicago’s coaches would like to see play out on the field.
Jan 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Bears DE Austin Booker (94) takes the field before a playoff game against the Packers at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn ImagesOne thing I’ve always appreciated about Bears GM Ryan Poles is how transparent he can be when talking about his players. With that in mind, I thought it was interesting to hear Poles lay out what the team is asking for Austin Booker as he enters his third season:
“You’re always going to get motor. You’re going to get aggressiveness. He needs to continue to play through the defense. Be detailed in terms of what we’re asking him to do. But you’ll never have an issue with how hard he’s going to play and then he’s got a couple of pass rush moves that are starting to be really effective for him, so I’d like to see him just continue on that plane, and we’ll see where it goes.”
What makes this an encouraging update to me is that the Bears are plainly stating what they want from Austin Booker. And it doesn’t seem like they are asking for too much. Plus, I am intrigued by Poles saying that Booker is developing pass rush moves that are looking effective this time of year. If those moves can really take hold, then we could see the type of leap fans have been dreaming of all offseason long.
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