The Bears signed one of their best defensive players to a contract extension on Thursday, but it wasn’t the defensive player most folks had earmarked for new money. The team announded on Thursday that GM Ryan Poles signed defensive tackle Andrew Billings to a new two-year deal.
Billings signed a one-year contract with the Bears this year and has been a standout player on the defensive line. The thought was the 28-year-old would come in and primarily help as a run-stuffing nose tackle, but Billings has been one of the most effective pass rushers, too. His 14 pressures rank tied for third among Bears defensive linemen this season, and his 11.1% pass rush win rate is tops on the unit. Billings doesn’t have any sacks, but he has three TFLs, which ranks fourth among Bears defensive lineman.
Most chatter about potential Bears contract extensions has centered around cornerback Jaylon Johnson and new defensive end Montez Sweat. Johnson has been one of the best coverage corners in the league and is now starting to take the ball away at a higher clip. Poles said he thought he was close to reaching an agreement with Johnson as the trade deadline approached, but was taken aback when Johnson’s camp asked to explore trade possibilities. No trade for Johnson came to fruition.
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The Bears ended up being buyers instead of sellers at the deadline and acquired Sweat for a second-round pick. Sweat is also playing on the last year of his contract and Poles said he is currently working with Sweat’s representation to hammer out a new deal for him too.