Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington lays out direct expectations for his rookie pass rusher in Thursday's game
The Chicago Bears have wrapped up their final day of training camp ahead of the team's preseason opener against the Houston Texans tomorrow.The team will soon be making their way down to Canton, Ohio for the Hall of Fame Game and the coaching staff has some high expectations for the team.We already know that the […]
The Chicago Bears have wrapped up their final day of training camp ahead of the team's preseason opener against the Houston Texans tomorrow.
The team will soon be making their way down to Canton, Ohio for the Hall of Fame Game and the coaching staff has some high expectations for the team.
We already know that the main starters on both sides of the ball will not be suiting up for Thursday's game, which includes rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
However, another rookie will be getting a solid amount of playing time on Thursday, which in itself will be something new for the young player.
Bears fifth-round rookie Austin Booker should be in line to start off the edge for the Bears against the Texans and will see a lot of snaps early in the game. During his college career, Booker was used primarily as a rotational pass rusher, meaning Thursday's game will be his chance to shine in a featured role.
Following Wednesday's practice, Bears defensive coordinator laid out the expectations for his young pass rusher and what he's hoping to see out of Booker on the field.
"I want to see him hit the quarterback," Washington explained. "I want to see him use his speed and everything that he's been working on, that's been poured into him so far, the investment that he's made. I want to see him put himself in position to hit the quarterback and take the ball away from him."
Booker definitely has the ability to achieve those things on Thursday. During his final season at Kansas, Booker racked up 8.0 sacks, 12.0 tackles for a loss, and two forced fumbles. Now with the Bears, he's looking to build off that production.
"I didn't start at Kansas," Booker said. "I'm constantly getting bigger. I feel like I've been getting bigger since the start of camp. I still can compete at this level. I'm at the same level as all the other guys or better. Just getting in and showing I belong and showing I can dominate at the highest level is a big thing. I think I've shown that at this camp."
After taking snaps with the first-team defense against the starting offense, Booker will be going up against the majority of the Texans backups. The team already confirmed that backup quarterback Davis Mills will be starting, not C.J. Stroud, at quarterback. Nevertheless, he'll still be able to work on some of his fundamentals on the field.
"He's just tough to hit as a pass rusher," Washington added. "He has a great feel for how to contort his body, how to flip and rotate his hips and shoulders, so that he can keep advancing toward the quarterback and put himself in position to follow through."
The Bears just started working in pads during training camp this week, but still haven't been able to fully finish when rushing the passer. Thursday will be Booker's first opportunity to open the gates and show what he can do rushing the quarterback.
