The Chicago Bears have been heralded for nearly all of their early offseason moves. But at least one free agency decision has now come with some scrutiny.
Chicago signed defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo to a four-year, $48 million contract. Only 25-years-old, the Bears are expecting to him to only grow further as he comes to the Windy City. Furthermore, Odeyingbo’s arrival forms an explosive connection with edge mate Montez Sweat.
In terms of production however, Brent Sobleski doesn’t think Odeyingbo’s contract was worth the squeeze. He is questioning the defender’s fit with the Bears entering the 2025 season.
“Dayo Odeyingbo signing with the Chicago Bears makes a ton of sense financially for the player, but the fit doesn’t, Sobleski wrote.
“Odeyingbo came into the league as a developmental defensive lineman with immense physical upside. He’s a 6’6″, 286-pound base end, who often reduces inside as part of defensive sub-packages.”
“The 25-year-old veteran doesn’t bring much different than what DeMarcus Walker did to the Bears lineup. Coincidentally, both finished last season with fewer than four sacks,” Sobleski continued.
“Two seasons ago, Odeyingbo produced a career-high eight sacks. He managed 8.5 through his other three campaigns,” Sobleski concluded. “Does that warrant a three-year, $48 million free-agent contract? Probably not. But the upside of the defensive lineman’s game remains tantalizing.
Even worse, Packers get in the mix
Not only does Sobleski argue that Odeyingbo is a bad fit for the Bears, he makes the point that the Green Bay Packers should’ve added him. Talk about insult to injury. Odeyingbo would go from helping Chicago craft their new defense to doing everything in Green Bay’s power to shut them down.
“Instead, the Green Bay Packers were reportedly interested,” Sobleski wrote.
“The Packers also have a young, talented core, with a history of developing raw pass-rushers, as the organization did with Rashan Gary. Unlike Ben Johnson, Matt LaFleur is proven coach, with five playoff appearances in his six seasons at the helm,” Sobleski continued. “If Green Bay really did prioritize Odeyingbo at the start of free agency, the decision should have been more difficult than the free agent made it out to be.”
Green Bay finished the 2024 campaign ranked eighth in the league with 45 sacks. Rashan Gary led the way with 7.5 while eight players had at least three sacks. Adding Odeyingbo to the mix would give the Packers another explosive option off the edge and would overall just make their defense scarier.
But alas, that will remain a pipe dream for at least the next four years. Odeyingbo is locked in with the Bears are ready to take part in their rivalry against the Packers.
What Dayo Odeyingbo offers Chicago Bears
Odeyingbo spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts, appearing in 61 games and starting 19. The defensive end made 106 tackles, 46 quarterback hits and 16.5 sacks. His final two seasons in Indianapolis saw him record 17 QB hits apiece.
During the 2024 campaign, Odeyingbo registered his 31 tackles, seven being for a loss and three sacks to go alongside his QB hits. While his numbers may not jump off the page, Odeyingbo put up eight sacks in 2023. And still being a growing player in the NFL, there will be room for improvement.
Alongside his own personal growth, Odeyingbo will be tasked with making things a bit easier on Sweat. The latter led Chicago in sacks in 2024, but he put up just 5.5 With a lack of true pressure on the offensive line, teams were able to focus on Sweat. If Odeyingbo is creating havoc, Sweat will have an easier lane to the quarterback.
Ultimately, Odeyingbo will need to prove he was worth every dollar as he makes his way to the Bears. But Chicago is confident he’ll be the perfect fit for Dennis Allen’s new defense. And the Packers are now forced to look elsewhere.
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