Shaw Local’s 2021 Bears report card: Edge rusher

No Bears player exceeded expectations more than pass rusher Robert Quinn.

Expectations had been high when the Bears signed Quinn in 2020, but a two-sack season led many fans to wonder what exactly Quinn was doing here. The 31-year-old rebounded in a big way last season. He set the Bears’ single-season sack record and spurred the defense to the No. 1 sack rate in the NFL.

Early in the season, Quinn and Khalil Mack provided a dominant one-two punch, just how former general manager Ryan Pace had envisioned it a year earlier. Unfortunately, Mack’s season ended after seven games because of a foot injury.

[ Shaw Local’s 2021 Bears report card: Quarterbacks ]

[ Shaw Local’s 2021 Bears report card: Running backs ]

[ Shaw Local’s 2021 Bears report card: Wide receivers ]

Positives: Quinn finished second in the NFL with 18.5 sacks, setting a new Bears single-season record. He earned a Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro honors. Only Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt, who tied NFL’s single-season record with 22.5 sacks, finished ahead of Quinn in the sack column. Quinn had 17 tackles for loss, 22 QB hits and four forced fumbles.

Second-year pro Trevis Gipson finished with seven sacks, seven tackles for loss, five forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Gipson played in 16 games, making nine starts after Mack went down with the foot injury.

In seven games before having season-ending surgery, Mack had six sacks and a fumble recovery.

[ Shaw Local’s 2021 Bears report card: Offensive tackles ]

Negatives: Mack’s injury put a damper on what had been shaping up to be one of his best seasons in a Bears uniform. After he started the first seven games, the Bears shut him down in late October, but didn’t immediately place him on injured reserve. The hope was that some extra rest would help his foot recover. Mack was inactive for two games and rested during the team’s bye but later went on IR ahead of a Nov. 21 game against Baltimore.

Free agent pass rusher Jeremiah Attaochu signed a two-year deal ahead of 2021 after recording five sacks for Denver the year before. Attaochu, who served as a backup to provide some depth, did not record a sack and went on IR with a pectoral injury after five games.

[ Shaw Local’s 2021 Bears report card: Tight ends ]

Defining moments: On Nov. 19, the Bears announced that Mack would undergo surgery on his foot, ending his season. Mack had never missed more than two games in any one season. He missed the final 10 games of the 2021 season.

During a Week 17 game against the New York Giants at Soldier Field, Quinn set the organization’s single-season sack record with his 18th sack. With the Bears winning handily, head coach Matt Nagy had no problem using a timeout in order for the home crowd to give Quinn a rousing ovation. Quinn bested Richard Dent’s record of 17.5 sacks from 1984.

Contract status: Mack and Quinn remain under contract for the next three seasons. Attaochu is under contract in 2022, but the Bears could save some money if they cut him. Trevis Gipson has two seasons remaining on his rookie contract.

If there’s one position the Bears can afford to stand pat at, it’s edge rusher.

Grade: A-. The only reason this isn’t an A+ is because Mack missed 10 games with a foot injury.

The plan: The defensive scheme is changing, but that doesn’t mean there’s any reason to move Quinn or Mack. They will remain the staples of the Bears’ pass rush, and they could even benefit from the change in scheme.

Mack had surgery on his injured foot and had an extra 10 weeks off at the end of last season. That should mean he’s as healthy as he’s ever been heading into 2022. Quinn is coming off his best season in years. Attaochu and Gipson are solid backups.

If Mack and Quinn are healthy, there’s no reason to make any changes at edge rusher. They are one of the top pass rushing duos in the NFL.