Back in March, AJ Epenesa and the Cleveland Browns agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth up to $5 million. But that deal fell through because the Browns didn’t like something that popped up on his medical report. Fast forward to late May, and Epenesa is on our radar again.
The Tribune’s Brad Biggs shares an anecdote about Epenesa participating in a workout for the Chicago Bears as part of his weekly mailbag. Check out this snippet:
The front office is keeping tabs on potential options. It’s my understanding the Bears brought in A.J. Epenesa for a workout last week. The free agent had 2½ sacks in 16 games for the Buffalo Bills last season after totaling 18½ sacks over three seasons from 2022-24.
Would adding Epenesa or a player like him move the needle for you? Epenesa had an agreement with the Cleveland Browns on a one-year, $5 million contract, but that deal fell apart in late March after the 27-year-old Iowa product failed a physical. What specifically led the Browns to pull their offer is unknown.
That’s evidence that the Bears aren’t sitting around simply wondering how the players on the roster will perform. I’d probably classify the visit by Epenesa somewhere between interest in adding to the position and performing due diligence on an emergency list.
At a minimum, the takeaway here is that the Bears are still exploring their defensive line options. On the one hand, that is a good thing because that group looks like it needs help. But on the other hand, I don’t love that such an important position group could be addressed with a springtime flier when there were potentially better options available earlier in the offseason. Then again, given the cap situation and inability to get out of contracts of underperforming players, I can understand why free agency wasn’t the move.
Tyson Bagent (17) is pressured by Bills defensive end AJ Epenesa (57) during the first half of a 2023 preseason game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY SportsDoes AJ Epenesa Make Sense as a Fit for the Bears’ Defense?
Even though AJ Epenesa didn’t live up to the pre-draft hype that followed a pair of first-team All-Big Ten seasons during his time at the University of Iowa, he was still someone I thought the Bears should have kicked the tires on a while ago. As it turns out, the Bears had him in for a workout at Halas Hall last week. That’s fun. And noteworthy, too.
A second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, AJ Epenesa was a solid rotational defensive lineman as a member of the Buffalo Bills. He has 91 games (19 starts) of playing experience and has accumulated 24 sacks, 135 total tackles, 29 tackles-for-loss, and 53 quarterback hits. In 2025, Epenesa finished with 2.5 sacks, 32 total tackles, two TFLs, and nine quarterback hits. But from 2022 to 2024, Epenesa averaged six sacks, seven tackles-for-loss, and 10 quarterback hits while missing just four games in those three years.
As a reminder, this is what the Bears’ depth chart looks like at defensive end behind projected starters Montez Sweat and Austin Booker:
Dayo Odeyingbo Shemar Turner Jeremiah Martin Daniel Hardy Jonathan GarvinGiven the concerns with Odeyingbo and Turner coming off season-ending injuries and the lack of upside (and in some cases, floor) with the other defensive ends on the depth chart, I can see why the Bears had AJ Epenesa in for a visit.
One of my offseason fears is that the Bears will rest on their laurels after adding depth to the defensive line. And while signing AJ Epenesa wouldn’t fully ease my concerns about Chicago’s issues at the position, I’ll never complain about adding depth in the trenches. Maybe it won’t be Epenesa. Perhaps there is someone else out there who could be a better fit. In any case, it would be wise for Chicago’s front office to continue exploring their options.
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