Could Von Miller be the final piece for Bears' defense? |
Dustin Riese
· · Thursday, June 05 2025
It's hard to believe that the voluntary portion of the OTA program is wrapping and will then be followed by a mandatory mini-camp. That will lead into training camp, and before you know it, the 2025 NFL season will be here. In what is expected to be one of the more anticipated Bears seasons in a long time, Chicago still has some holes on its roster to fill, and with nearly $15 million in cap space, it has the money to make some moves.
Chicago would love to get some depth at the safety position, but unless they want to break the bank for Justin Simmons, there aren't too many safeties left on the open market. Running back depth remains at the top of their list when it comes to priorities, as does adding more depth to the defensive line and pass rush, as that was the one area on defense that hasn't performed well lately. Guys like Matthew Judon, Za'Darius Smith, and Jadeveon Clowney are all available on the open market, and all of them make sense for the Bears to address their pass-rush need. However, there is a name that hasn't been mentioned at all, and it is someone that Pro Football Focus' Brandon Austin thinks the Bears should take a run at the future Hall of Famer, Von Miller, who is not only available but could be seen as a perfect short-term solution for this team. Make no mistake about it, the best days are well behind Miller, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't be an impact player for this team. Adding him would bring in similar vibes to what Khalil Mack brought in, and it would cost far less as the Bears wouldn't have to give up anything and wouldn't have to break the bank to add him on a one-year deal. The Chicago Bears have built a strong starting defensive line with the additions of Grady Jarrett, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Shemar Turner through free agency and the draft. With Montez Sweat still in Chicago, there is no question that the defensive front will be vastly improved this season. However, adding Miller would make that front that much better, as they could use another body to help take the pressure off of everyone. Despite the low sack numbers once again, Chicago did a great job of generating pressure, but they couldn't turn that pressure into sacks. Their 36.8% pressure ranked eighth in the NFL, but they would like that to get closer to 50% as Odeyingbo isn't going to be the sack artist that some think he could become. Miller, on the other hand, could be that sack artist the Bears need as the 1-A guy to Sweat, and although his prime years are well behind him, 2024 still showed that he can be a force on the defensive side of the ball. Miller took on a reduced role in 2024 and saw the fewest amount of snaps he has seen in several seasons. Even with that reduced role, the production was still there, as he finished the season with six sacks and posted a 16.1% pressure rate. The pressure rate alone stands out, ranking him 11th best among 212 players who registered at least 150 pass-rushing snaps. Say what you will about his age and injury history; the bottom line is that he still played well and would make this defense, and any defense, for that matter, a much better unit. On a positive note, Miller did look better last season than he has in the past as he is finally starting to get healthy from an injury-plagued 2023 that saw him deal with several setbacks lingering from a torn ACL. Even if he is never 100% again or is one of those players who is more of a package-specific player, the Bears could do far worse than adding the 36-year-old Miller to their team. He is a seven-time Pro Bowler, a multiple-time All-Pro, and is on track to become a future Hall of Famer, as he is one of the best players to ever play the position. As long as the price is right and it won't tie the Bears up for multiple years, Miller does make a lot of sense for Dennis Allen and his defense, as it is the complementary pass-rushing piece that Sweat has been waiting for.
