30 Most Important Bears of 2026: Devin Bush (No. 15)

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for a hyped 2026 season, where they're looking to build off their impressive first season under head coach Ben Johnson, which included an NFC North title and a wild-card playoff win. While they found success in 2025, it's a brand new slate for this Bears team following an offseason of change, including the departures of key veterans and the additions of new veterans and exciting rookies.

The work begins in training camp, where Johnson will put his team through the wringer with the intent to prepare them for the 2026 season. Every day from now right up through training camp, we’re counting down our 30 Most Important Bears for the 2026 season. We’ll recap their 2025 season, look ahead to 2026 and tackle the biggest question facing them this year.

We have officially reached the halfway point of this series at No. 15 with linebacker Devin Bush. The Bears are trying to bring more speed to the position and Bush is someone who fits the bill as one of their marquee free agent signings.

Background

Position: Linebacker

Age: 28

Experience: 8th season

2026 cap hit: $5.6 million

2025 recap

Devin Bush struggled to find a home for much of his NFL career since being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. After flaming out in Pittsburgh and an uninspiring stint with the Seattle Seahawks, Bush landed with the Cleveland Browns and got his career back on track. In 2025, his second season in Cleveland, Bush became a menace on a stacked defense. He totaled 125 tackles (seven for loss), two sacks, two forced fumbles, and three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Bush was just one piece of an elite Browns defense that featured Myles Garrett and his record-breaking 23 sacks but played an important role as one of the field generals.

Importance in 2026

Bush's resurgence in 2025 earned him a big payday going into 2026, which happened with the Bears. Chicago signed him to a three-year deal to reshape the linebacker position under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, replacing Tremaine Edmunds. Bush possesses tremendous speed to play sideline to sideline, something Edmunds was lacking after returning from injury. With the combination of TJ Edwards and D'Marco Jackson running the defense, the hope is Bush can better match up against running backs and tight ends while shoring up the run defense. The Bears made a significant commitment to Bush, and now he must show he's capable of living up to the pressure as a marquee player.

Big question: Is Bush a one-year wonder?

Bush is one of the more intriguing free agent signings in recent memory for the Bears. There is no denying his production from the 2025 season, but he hadn't done much prior to that despite his first-round pedigree. Are the Bears getting the player that produced 125 tackles with multiple interception touchdowns or a player that has looked to be average at best for the bulk of his career? And it's worth wondering whether or not Bush's success came because of the players around him, such as Carson Schwesinger, Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, and more. The Bears simply don't have the same talent as the defense Bush is coming from. But many players can be late bloomers, and it's possible Bush didn't hit his stride until Year 7. We'll see how he fits in and if Bush is a difference-maker or not.

30 Most Important Bears of 2026

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 30 Most Important Bears of 2026: Devin Bush (No. 15)