In their flurry of offseason moves, the Chicago Bears focused on the offensive line, but they paid just as much attention to the defensive line, signing both Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency.
Jarrett, a 10-year veteran who played in a Super Bowl for the Atlanta Falcons, will be the more recognizable name, while Odeyingbo will look to make the most out of his new opportunity with Chicago.
Coming over from the Indianapolis Colts, Odeyingbo played in limited action but had the best season of his career in 2023, with 38 total tackles, eight sacks, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. And in 2024, he played in a career-high 719 snaps.
During Odeyingbo’s introductory press conference on Thursday, Bears general manager Ryan Poles was asked what appealed to him about Odeyingbo, and he said the film tells all.
“If you watch the tape, you can see how disruptive he can be,” Poles said.
Getting a player who can be, as Poles described, disruptive as Odeyingbo is, that will allow defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to put him in different positions to maximize his success. Although he’s mainly slotted at defensive end, Poles said they will play Odeyingbo in different spots on the line when the timing is right.
Adding Odeyingbo to go with Montez Sweat, and the recently-signed Jarrett, the Bears have remade their defensive front, just as they did their offensive line this offseason. Odeyingbo’s name may not be one who jumps off the paper to fans, but his numbers are there, and Chicago plans to put him in position to succeed with their new-look defense.
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