Bears defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo is out for the season with a torn Achilles suffered in a Week 9 victory over the Bengals, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Odeyingbo, originally a Colts second-round pick in 2021, arrived in Chicago this offseason on a three-year, $48MM deal. He started the Bears’ first eight games this year with a 75% snap share, but only logged one sack and two tackles for loss before his injury on Sunday.
Shemar Turner and Dominique Robinson are already dealing with injuries, so the Bears’ defensive line depth will be tested further by Odeyingbo’s absence. The return of Austin Booker from his knee injury will help, and 2022 seventh-rounder Daniel Hardy will likely be asked to play more snaps as well.
The Bears may regret their decision to release Tanoh Kpassagnon from their practice squad last month. He has since signed with the Colts’ practice squad, but Chicago could still sign him to its 53-man roster. The Bears also have Jonathan Garvin and Jamree Kromah on their own practice squad for game day elevations and/or a promotion to the active roster.
Odeyingbo’s debut season in Chicago will now be considered a disappointment due to his lack of production and, now, availability. Beyond his low counting stats, Odeyingbo has only logged a 4.8% pressure rate and a 8.9% pass rush win rate, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Last year, those numbers were 9.6% and 12.6%, respectively.
The 26-year-old edge rusher will likely aim to return by the beginning of the 2026 season when he can retake a starting job opposite Montez Sweat. The Bears may still bring in some depth off the edge to bolster a pass rush that has not consistently gotten to opposing quarterbacks this season. Their defense overall has been a bottom-10 unit, but their results on the other side of the ball appear to be proof-of-concept for the Ben Johnson–Caleb Williams partnership. A return from Odeyingbo and additional investments in the defense could help them take a bigger leap in 2026.