Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Insider says Bears should pursue Pro Bowler DeForest Buckner

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Dec 31, 2022 9:07 PM ET

The Chicago Bears rank last in the NFL in sacks and 24th in total defense, but one team insider believes both issues can be remedied with one move.

ESPN’s Courtney Cronin recently suggested that the Bears pursue Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to both improve their inside pass rush and help stabilize their defensive line.

“With no guaranteed money remaining on the final two years of his contract, Buckner may want to play somewhere else as Indianapolis appears headed for a rebuild,” Cronin wrote. “A trade would reunite him with Eberflus and cement the “engine” in Chicago’s defense.”

Since 2000, here's the list of Colts players besides Dwight Freeney (7x) and Robert Mathis (8x) to record 9.5+ sacks in a season:

Erik Walden (2016)
Justin Houston (2019)
DeForest Buckner (2020)
Yannick Ngakoue (2022) https://t.co/5iQv87clY9
— Josh Wilson (@JoshWilsonSB) December 31, 2022

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus coached Buckner for two years when he was the Colts defensive coordinator, in which Buckner had two of his most productive seasons. The 28-year-old DT had 9.5 and seven sacks, respectively, leading the team in sacks both years.

He also had 106 QB pressures, 60 QB hurries, 44 QB hits, 20 tackles for loss, and 19 QB knockdowns over that two-year span under Eberflus, making the Pro Bowl in 2021 and being named a First Team All-Pro in 2020.

Justin Jones is Chicago’s only interior defensive lineman with more than one sack this season. In fact, all Bears defensive tackles have combined for just three sacks, 42 pressures, 32 hurries and seven QB hits.

Michael Gallagher

Michael Gallagher is a longtime sports journalist based out of Nashville with a decade of experience covering college football, mixed martial arts and prep sports plus the NFL and NHL — specifically the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators. He’s covered several notable sporting events including an AFC Championship game, a Stanley Cup Final, an NHL All-Star Game and an NHL Stadium Series. Some of his past bylines can be found at the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, The Hockey News and Fox Sports Knoxville

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