Bears Named Best Spot for Former $60 Million All-Pro DT

After the conclusion of the 2024 NFL draft, the Chicago Bears have just a few positional needs to address in order to fully round out their roster.

After adding quarterback Caleb Williams with the top overall pick and drafting wide receiver Rome Odunze at No. 9, the Bears changed their offense completely. Chicago also added offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie, punter Tory Taylor and pass rusher Austin Booker in the later rounds, leaving the team’s primary remaining need at defensive tackle.

Dan Pizzuta of The 33rd Team put together a list of the best fits for the top available free agents post-draft, and he named the Bears the top landing spot for veteran DT Calais Campbell. Noting Chicago had “one of the league’s best defenses from the second half of last season” last year, Pizzuta’s pitch for Campbell heading to the Windy City is a strong one. “The Bears still lack other impact players along the defensive line,” he wrote on April 29. “The only additions were free agents Jake Martin and Byron Cowart and fifth-round pick Austin Booker. Calais Campbell can still help the Bears’ defensive line inside and on the edge.” Campbell, 37, was once a top DT in the league, back when he inked a four-year, $60 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals in 2017. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Campbell was a first-team All-Pro in 2017, and while he’s not the same player as he was then, he has been reliable, efficient and relatively productive in the years since.

With Booker being a fifth-round rookie, the Bears might also benefit from having a durable veteran presence on the line. Montez Sweat, DeMarcus Walker and Andrew Billings are there, of course, but the 6-foot-8, 282-pound Campbell’s massive presence could help shore up Chicago’s D-line.

“Campbell was the Falcons’ leading pressure creator last season,” Pizzuta noted. “Throwing Campbell on this line could take attention away from Sweat and open up opportunities for the likes of DeMarcus Walker and Gervon Dexter.”

A Look at the Numbers & Stats

In 17 games last year, Campbell finished with 56 tackles (10 for loss), 17 quarterback hits, a safety, a forced fumble and 6.5 sacks. He hit the 100-sack mark in his 16th season last year. The Bears could handle adding that type of production in the middle of the D-line. Concerns about his age are warranted, but it’s fair to say he can still be an impact player week to week.

Per Pro Football Focus, Campbell had 25 hurries in 2023, the most he’s had since the 2019 season. He was limited to 12 games in 2020, but other than that, he hasn’t missed more than three games in any single season over his entire career, which is impressive to say the least. Campbell signed a one-year deal worth $7 million with the Falcons last year, so he’ll probably be commanding a bit less than that this season. We’ll see if Chicago has any interest in paying it. If it’s not Campbell, expect the Bears to add another defensive tackle at some point this offseason.