This was a close one! Earlier this week, we asked you guys to vote on who you think will be the Chicago Bears sack leader in 2026, and just one percentage point separated defensive ends Montez Sweat and Austin Booker.
Sweat has led the Bears in sacks all three years he’s been in the Windy City, and his 21.5 sacks are tied for 29th in franchise history. He had 10 sacks last season and another against the Rams in the playoffs. He’s just 7.5 sacks away from the top 20 all-time for the Bears.
Booker has
6 sacks in his two years as a pro, but last year he had 4.5 in 10 games, plus another in the Wild Card win over the Packers. At just 23 years old, he’s younger than some of the members of the upcoming 2026 draft class, so he’s still coming into his own as a player.
“If Austin Booker can pick up where he left off at the end of last season, that’s one way for the Bears to be better rushing the passer,” the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs wrote earlier this week. “We saw him playing at a pretty high level for a little less than half a season. If Booker is healthy and can make a jump from Year 2 to Year 3, like he did from his rookie season to 2025, they’ll have an interesting player. Is that a lock to happen? Of course not. But I believe the Bears are optimistic about his career arc.”
Sweat is a good football player, but the Bears need another viable and consistent threat to get after the passer. If Booker can take another step, and if the Bears draft a defensive end like Malachi Lawrence, Keldric
Faulk, T.J. Parker, or Gabe Jacas, then suddenly, Chicago will give opposing offensive tackles something to think about. And improving the defense will be imperative if the Bears want to build off their 11-win 2025 and get back to the playoffs.
Our partners at FanDuel Sportsbook have the Bears’ over/under win total at 9.5 games for the 2026 season, and at +320 to win the NFC North.
