Chicago Bears edge rusher Austin Booker suffered an injury during the team’s Week 2 preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.
Booker suffered what appeared to be a knee injury during coverage on special teams. He was looked at by trainers in the injury tent before exiting for the locker room. The Bears later ruled him out for the remainder of the game with a knee injury, and head coach Ben Johnson later said he’d miss a few weeks.
Booker was a preseason standout for Chicago, where he totaled three sacks in the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins. He was off to an impressive start against the Bills, where he totaled two tackles, one sack and one QB hit, before exiting with an injury.
Austin Booker injury update
Following the Bears’ preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs last Friday night, head coach Ben Johnson said that defensive end Austin Booker will “be out a few weeks” with a knee injury. It was an encouraging sign when Booker made the initial 53-man roster, indicating he might be ready by Week 1 or Week 2 at the latest. But Chicago placed Booker on short-term injured reserve, which means he’ll miss the first few games of the 2025 season.
How long will Austin Booker be out?
With Booker landing on short-term injured reserve, he’ll miss at least the first four games of the season. He’s eligible to return in Week 6 against the Washington Commanders, as the Bears have a bye week in Week 5, which gives him an extra week to rehab before a potential return to action.
Who will replace Austin Booker at edge rusher for Bears?
The Bears don’t have much in the form of productive edge rushers outside of Montez Sweat, so Booker’s loss in a massive blow to a pass rush that was already lacking. With Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo anchoring the edge, Chicago will turn to Dominique Robinson and Daniel Hardy as rotational pieces to get after the quarterback. General manager Ryan Poles didn’t add any defensive ends via the waiver wire, but you have to wonder if a move is coming given the need for improvement.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Austin Booker injury update: What we know about Bears EDGE’s knee
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
