Bear Digest

Tracking the Bears in Camp: Austin Booker's Rush Kept in Perspective

Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington cautions against getting too excited over 2 1/2 sacks by rookie Austin Booker in a preseason game.

Gene Chamberlain

Austin Booker's ability to rush the passer seems to be more innate than learned as he's only had one season of college ball.
Austin Booker's ability to rush the passer seems to be more innate than learned as he's only had one season of college ball. / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
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In days gone by, the late Buddy Ryan would keep rookies focused when he was Bear defensive coordinator by either refusing to play them or by referring to them only by jersey number.

In his own way, Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington did the same Tuesday with the rookie who is currently all the rage after 2 1/2 sacks against Buffalo, defensive end Austin Booker.

"He's making good progress," Washington said. "I'm going to make sure to maintain perspective with him. I don't want to get ahead of myself with Austin. He's had a couple of good days. I'm not trying to diminish what he did but there is a long way to go in this process of being game-ready outside of the preseason.

"He's doing a good job–even today in this practice going from that performance (vs. Buffalo) and coming back down to earth, just blocking out all of the noise. Some of the praise and adulation, those things can be as toxic as listening to some of the negative things. We have to just make sure we maintain a level head and continue to work."

Then again, a team with perceived issues rushing the passer outside of Montez Sweat can't keep a good thing hidden for too long, and Washington had no problem describing what he has seen in Booker's rush ability.

"I think he has an innate feel and the good rushers are hard to hit, they are hard to stall, they understand at max speed how to engage their hands, how to contort their body, how to counter at max speed without having to slow themselves down and allow the protection to catch up with what they are doing, whether they are staying outside or trying to work inside," Washington said. "He has a great feel for that.

"Right now, what he is going through is taking what he brings to the table and combining that with all the other details that he has to have from an assignment standpoint, situationally so he can play good clean football, and we can get maximum benefit from what he can do."

Booker basically played only in his final college season at Kansas after sitting two years at Minnesota. So, the fifth-round pick is not exactly well versed on technique at this point.

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"That’s just what he's blessed with, his God-given talent," Washington said. "What he's done–before he even got here–in terms of understanding that position, the game of football, how to rush and his protections, some of those things. A lot of credit goes to him and what he’s able to do."

Booker has numerous coaches helping. Some are paid to do it. Washington is a defensive coordinator but his expertise is the defensive line. Then line coach Travis Smith and assistant Bryan Bing have the main tutelage responsibilities. But there is more. Montez Sweat and DeMarcus Walker help out the rookie, as well.

"Extremely valuable because those guys are so generous in giving Austin the benefit of their experiences," Washington said. "They are extremely generous; they care about the group and how potent our group is in terms of being able to be a factor rushing."

That Other Guy

Daniel Hardy has hardly sat by and waited for cutdown day. The former Rams backup edge had as many sacks as Booker in Saturday's game. Hardy wrecked offense for Alabama and then had a knee injury. He played only six games for the Rams in 2022 before landing on the Bears practice squad last year.

"His production has been really good in practice," Washington said. "I've seen glimpses of that (rush) before as we've moved through the offseason and throughout training camp. He's finding a way to factor during the preseason games. He's finding a way to win, to do it with a level of urgency we need when we’re rushing four guys. He's in tremendous conditioning, his conditioning is outstanding."

It's Practice, Man

A truncated practice without pads Tuesday coming out of a break and preceding two tougher ones to come had few real highlights. One was a backup play. QB Tyson Bagent looked off the backup secondary and threw back at the back of the end zone to wide-open Stephen Carlson for a touchdown. Carlson and Tommy Sweeney just keep catching passes, showing the Bears have plenty of options for the practice squad or in case of injury. ... Caleb Williams had his own big pass for a TD in the middle of a crowd to DJ Moore in red zone work. In full squad practice he took advantage of a penalty to find Rome Odunze deep for a TD. ... Jaylon Jones and Kevin Byard combined for a defensive gem by disrupting another pass in the corner of the end zone in those drills. ... Terell Smith was one of the few defensive players who had been injured and returned but practiced in team drills. Most of them just did individual work. Smith used his time back well by getting a pass breakup in 7-on-7 when Moore was targeted. ... Tremaine Edmunds using his long arms, picked off a Williams pass.

Tough Stuff

Fights seem common at joint practices and the Bears have seen their share of them, but Matt Eberflus is trying to get ahead of this with the Bengals coming Thursday to Halas Hall.

"Yeah, we have those rules," defensive tackle Andrew Billings said. "You fight and you're out, things like that.

"We just want to be professionals out there and not hurt anybody. Take care of the other team's body and they will take care of yours. Pretty much it."

Somewhere the late, great Dick Butkus cringed.

Big Bill's Stamp of Approval

Billings loved what he saw from Williams in Saturday's game.

"That was beautiful," Billings said. "We watch him do what he does in practice. We wanna see it in a game.

"The fact he came out there and did what he did and stayed composed with it, that's all you can ask from him, really."

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.