Ryan Poles: Bears are 'comfortable' with pass rush depth

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — The Bears' addition of Pro Bowl pass rusher Montez Sweat proved to be a considerable catalyst for their defense last season.

But with training camp starting this weekend at Halas Hall, the Bears are wondering whom they'll rely upon to rush on the opposite end from Sweat. While that's still a question, Bears general manager Ryan Poles is confident in the group that his team has to rush the passer.

“We feel really comfortable with the guys we have on our roster now, and I'm excited,” Poles said Friday as the Bears reported for training camp.

“But we will always have our eyes on the list of players that we could potentially bring in.”

The Bears have been monitoring the health of veteran pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue, who suffered a season-ending ankle fracture last December and remains a free agent. Ngakoue, who turned 29 in March, had four sacks in 13 games with the Bears last season.

The Bears return veteran DeMarcus Walker and third-year player Dominique Robinson to the edge rush position. The team also signed Jacob Martin in free agency.

Walker, 29, had 3.5 sacks in 2023, his first year with Chicago.

Bears rookie pass rusher Austin Booker, a fifth-round pick in the NFL Draft in April, is also expected to play a key role in this rotation.

The Bears will hold their first practice of training camp Saturday morning at Halas Hall.

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 .