The Chicago Bears pulled off a thrilling comeback against the Kansas City Chiefs, clawing back from a 17-point deficit to win 29-27 at Arrowhead Stadium. But let’s not lose sight of the fact that the Bears’ pass rush was practically non-existent, something Patrick Mahomes and his offense took full advantage of as they scored 17 points in three series of action. Which also brings one to probe, did Chicago’s defense sorely miss their preseason standout?

Three sacks in the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins and an impressive start against the Bills, where he logged two tackles, one sack, and one QB hit, Austin Booker was ruled out for the remainder of the Sunday night game with a knee injury. While there was excitement for a hard-fought win on Friday, head coach Ben Johnson turned the conversation toward a health update of the second-year edge rusher.

As per reporter Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.on X on August 22, “#Bears head coach Ben Johnson gave an injury update on defensive end Austin Booker, saying he’ll be out a few weeks with a knee.” If there’s a weak link in Chicago’s reshaped roster, it’s the defensive end spot, and losing Booker, even temporarily, leaves a noticeable gap in the pass rush and defensive rotations. The Bears might have already confirmed that cornerback Terrell Smith would miss the entire 2025 season, but the silence around Booker only fueled speculation.

Meanwhile, general manager Ryan Poles has been hunting for a reliable partner to line up opposite 2023 Pro Bowler Montez Sweat, but options have been scarce. The Bears did invest heavily in Dayo Odeyingbo during free agency, hoping for upside, but the gamble carries risk. With Booker sidelined, Johnson will be eager to get him back on the field and start integrating him into the rotation as soon as possible.

Interestingly, Booker’s story is a classic high-risk, high-reward tale. Despite limited college action, he exploded onto the scene in 2023 with 8 sacks and 12 tackles-for-loss, ranking third and 12th in the Big-12, respectively. That potential pushed Chicago to trade a 2025 4th-round pick just to get him in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Now, with Johnson tasked with developing him into an NFL starter, a sophomore breakout season could be possible as soon as he returns. Also, the spectacular comeback against the Chiefs left Ben Johnson with some takeaways.

Positives and negatives for Ben Johnson

The Bears’ comeback over the Chiefs was full of highs and lows, and it started with the run game. While Chicago’s starting offense sputtered on its first three drives, D’Andre Swift gave fans something to cheer about. The veteran back carried the ball seven times for 28 yards, averaging 4.0 yards per attempt.

Not only that, the passing game eventually found its groove, and Olamide Zaccheaus once again proved he’s no preseason fluke. After hauling in a touchdown last week, he added three catches for 37 yards, including a 25-yard strike from struggling Caleb Williams that set up a score late in the half. On top of that, Tyson Bagent might’ve locked his spot as QB2 with his best outing of the summer. Completing 20-of-28 passes for 212 yards and three touchdowns with a 128.9 passer rating, he engineered a 17-point rally capped by a 10-play, 87-yard drive and a six-yard TD to Jahdae Walker for the 29-27 win.

Adding to the struggles, cornerback Nahshon Wright, who had been a camp standout, had a nightmare night. One ugly sequence saw him commit 29 yards in penalties before surrendering a 58-yard bomb from Mahomes. While it’s only one game, it may have tilted the CB2 battle toward Tyrique Stevenson.

To wrap things up, the discipline issues didn’t stop there. Chicago’s first drive was a mess of miscommunication—botched snaps, false starts, and short throws. Special teams didn’t bail them out either, as kicker Cairo Santos had a 47-yarder clang off the upright and even saw an extra point blocked after a missed assignment by Stephen Carlson. For a unit that looked crisp against Buffalo, this was a reality check.