The Chicago Bears are retooling their linebacker room by moving on from a former first-round pick and signing another. The Bears are signing former Cleveland Browns linebacker Devin Bush Jr. to a three-year deal worth $30 million with $21 million guaranteed.
Bush was a 2019 first-round pick out of Michigan who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had an uninspiring stint with the Steelers and wasn’t re-signed after his rookie contract lapsed. Bush spent one season with the Seattle Seahawks in 2023 before joining the Browns in 2024, where he finally realized his potential.
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In 2025, Bush totaled 125 tackles (seven for loss), two sacks, two forced fumbles, three interceptions, and two touchdowns. His 164 interception yards led the league as he helped turn the Browns into a top defensive unit in football.
Coming to Chicago, Bush joins TJ Edwards and D’Marco Jackson, who re-signed with the team on a two-year deal earlier in the day. It’s a much different linebacking corps than what the Bears deployed to start last season, and it’s one the team hopes plays faster. Here is our initial grade of the Bush signing.
Signing details
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Three years, $30 million ($21 million guaranteed)
Initial grade: B+
When the Bears’ brass met the media at the NFL Combine, they preached the need to get faster on defense. They accomplished that mission with the signing of Bush. He’s a bit smaller for a linebacker, but the former first-round pick can fly to ball carriers, boasting 4.43 speed when he came out of college. He always had the talent; it just took him a few years to fully develop.
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Bush should be a heat-seeking missile in Dennis Allen’s system at WILL linebacker. He will fill the role that Tremaine Edmunds had, but Bush is a more natural fit. He excelled against the run and greatly improved his pass defense. Bush was second among all linebackers with at least 140 coverage snaps, trailing only new teammate D’Marco Jackson via Nick Whalen. And he allowed just 0.49 yards per coverage snap in 2025, also second among all linebackers, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Bush showed out last season in a big way, but the only question is, can he have success away from Cleveland’s defense?
Prior to joining the Browns, Bush was a below-average linebacker that was looking like a bust after being a top-10 pick. And it’s easier to look good playing behind a line that features Myles Garrett and talented rookies such as Mason Graham and Carson Schwesinger. Can Bush replicate that success with players such as Montez Sweat, Gervon Dexter, and Jackson? And prior to 2025, Bush had really only flashed as a rookie back in 2019. That’s not to say he hasn’t turned a corner and figured it all out, but there’s a chance he’s a one-year wonder that shined on one of the best units in football.
Hopefully that isn’t the case, and even if he does fail to live up to his 2025 production, Bush should still be a fine starter at worst. The Bears needed to upgrade their speed at the position, and they found an ideal solution. He’s also making less than what Edmunds would have cost this year ($10 million AAV vs. $15 million), saving the Bears money in the process. It’s a solid move that should improve the Bears’ defense in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears to sign Devin Bush: Grading the move
