For the second straight week, the Bears’ defensive line has lost another player to injury.
After the Chicago Bears’ 47-42 comeback victory against the Cincinnati Bengals, Dayo Odeyingbo was seen leaving the locker room with a brace and was on crutches.
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson shared the news during his Monday Zoom press conference that Odeyingbo injured his Achilles in the game against the Bengals and will be done for the season.
Odeyingbo played his last snap with just over seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. He rushed against the Bengals’ right tackle and went to the ground during his rush.
General manager Ryan Poles signed Odeyingo to a three-year, $48 million contract this offseason. The 6-foot-6, 286-pound defensive end played 369 total defensive snaps and ended with just one sack and 10 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Odeyingo now becomes the Bears’ second defensive lineman to be lost for the season because of injury. During the Bears’ 30-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, rookie Shemar Turner tore his ACL. Dominique Robinson also sustained a high ankle sprain in that game and will be out for a few weeks.
With the injuries to the defensive line and the NFL trade deadline approaching, Johnson provided some clarity as to where the Bears stand with their defense.
“It’s one of those deals that we feel like we take some strides in particular positions and we take some steps back, you know, it’s wild,” Johnson said. “Felt like we had a solution there with Shemar at defensive end a couple weeks ago and then we lost him and then finally get (Austin) Booker back and then we lose Dayo, so it’s a little bit of give and take. That’s the course of the NFL season. That happens, so we’ll have guys step up.”
Johnson praised Austin Booker’s performance against the Bengals. The second-year player was activated from injured reserve and in Booker’s first game of the season, he had a strip-sack fumble on Joe Flacco.
Johnson also acknowledged that Robinson has made some impactful plays this season.
“You can never have too many pass rushers, you can never have too many cover players in the backend either, so that’s how I have always felt since I have been in this league,” Johnson said. “I know Ryan and his crew have been doing their due diligence all throughout the fall, you know, all the up until tomorrow to make sure that we are turned over every stone to make sure that if there is a way we can improve this roster, we’ll do that. I feel good about the guys we have on the roster currently.”
