Panthers’ crucial roster decision gives Chicago Bears new pass rush opportunity

While the Chicago Bears haven gotten plenty of praise for their 2025 NFL Draft class, one glaring omission was the lack of a true pass rusher. The easiest way for the Bears to remedy the issue seems to be the free agent market.

There are plenty of high profile names still available. But the list will only continue to grow once training camp rolls around. Specifically, veterans across the league will be cut as teams make their final 53-man roster decisions. Those veterans won’t bring as much excitement as a new draft pick, but they can help fill the hole until a long-term answer is found.

One player who could fit that bill is Carolina Panthers edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. Set to be a free agent after the season, general manager Dan Morgan hasn’t given Clowney the strongest vote of confidence in terms of remaining with the Panthers in 2025, via David Newton of ESPN.

“We’re still working through the roster,” Morgan said. “We’re still talking through things. Obviously, we’re focused on the draft right now and what’s in front of us.”

“We’re just kind of working through things,” Morgan said. “We’re working through the draft. We’re focused on that. We’re going to reassess it after the draft and go from there.”

If Carolina decides to save some cap and release him, perhaps Clowney would enter Chicago’s radar. It’s the same strategy they used when the Atlanta Falcons released Grady Jarrett.

How Jadeveon Clowney impacts Chicago Bears

The 2025 season will mark Clowney’s 12th year in the NFL and his age-32 campaign. Chicago won’t be expecting him to completely revolutionize the defense. However, if the Panthers decide to move on, Clowney could make for a strong fit as a short-term fix to the Bears’ long-term pass rush problem.

Starting 14 games during the 2024 season, Clowney racked up 46 tackles, 11 quarterback hits and 5.5 sacks. If he were on the Bears, the pass rusher would’ve tied Montez Sweat for the team lead in sacks while ranking fourth in quarterback hits. While his grades may not jump off the page, Clowney was solid across the board according to Pro Football Focus. His 70.8 overall grade ranked 47/211 edge rushers while his 73.2 ranked 30/211.

In 2023, Clowney racked up 9.5 sacks. He had another nine in 2021. So while he is entering the twilight of his career, the veteran has still proven he knows how to get to the quarterback. The Bears wouldn’t necessarily expect a nine-sack performance in 2025, however, they’d at least know they’d have a bit more juice on their defensive line.

Chicago has already added fellow pass rusher Dayo Odeyingbo on a three-year, $48 million contract. He’s set to form a lethal combo with Sweat. Clowney wouldn’t cost nearly as much and would provide ample support on either side in a rotational role. While the team currently has players like Austin Booker at defensive end and Noah Sewell at linebacker, Clowney gives Chicago a proven commodity.

In the end, the Panthers can just decide to hold onto Clowney. He has one year left on his contract anyway. But Carolina invested heavily into the position during the NFL Draft. Perhaps they opt to rely on their youth rather than run it back with Clowney.

That’s where the Bears come in. At this stage of his career, signing Clowney wouldn’t be the blockbuster deal it was in previous years. But it would be a sensible addition for a defense looking to make a massive turnaround in 2025.