Cameron Jordan has enjoyed a superb 15-year career in New Orleans, but the free agent edge defender is unsure if he will don a Saints uniform for a 16th season. A number of contenders, including the Bears, would do well to pry Jordan out of New Orleans. But it does not appear Jordan will reunite with former Saints head coach Dennis Allen, now the Bears’ defensive coordinator.
When asked about Jordan last week, Allen said (via Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times): ‘‘I don’t know that there’s been a ton of discussion about [signing him]. We feel pretty good about where we’re at and what we have. Yet you never know what opportunities might present themselves down the road.’’
Not only was Allen the Saints’ head coach from 2022-24, but he was previously on their staff as a defensive assistant and then coordinator from 2015-21. Jordan posted five seasons of double-digit sacks and earned seven of his eight Pro Bowl trips in that span.
Allen moved to Chicago last year a couple of months after his Saints ouster, but Jordan showed no signs of slowing down. Despite his advanced age, the soon-to-be 37-year-old put up his seventh season with double-digit sacks (10.5). Jordan may have been even more of a force against opposing rushing attacks, as he ranked sixth among edge defenders in run stop win rate. Pro Football Focus gave Jordan the fourth-best grade against the run at his position.
In addition to his ongoing excellent production, Jordan remained remarkably durable during yet another full season. The 6-foot-4, 287-pounder has missed just two of 245 regular-season games in a decade and a half. On the other hand, health was elusive for Bears edge defenders last season, a year in which the team won the NFC North despite surrendering the sixth-most rushing yards and totaling the seventh-fewest sacks in the NFL.
The Bears entered 2025 with high expectations for Dayo Odeyingbo, whom they paid a guaranteed $32MM in free agency, but he registered just one sack in eight starts before suffering a torn Achilles on Nov. 2. Meanwhile, second-round rookie Shemar Turner went down with a torn ACL five games into his season. It also was a truncated campaign for Austin Booker, who began the year on IR with a knee injury and wound up missing seven games.
If Chicago does not use any of its $6.68MM in effective cap space to add Jordan or another available edge defender (Joey Bosa, Jadeveon Clowney, Von Miller and ex-Bear Leonard Floyd are also among those on the market), the team will bank on healthier seasons from Odeyingbo, Turner and Booker. The Bears would also benefit from a second straight full season from Montez Sweat, who recorded a team-leading 10 sacks last year. The rest of their defense accounted for just 25.
As for Jordan, assuming he continues his career in 2026, he will look to build on what could be a Hall of Fame resume. The 2010s All-Decade Team member ranks 17th on the all-time sack list (132). He could approach or break into the top 10 with another strong season.
After the Bears sign their last 3 draft picks they’ll have around 6 million dollars to operate for the rest of the season barring a trade. I doubt they’ll waste it on a 38 year old prayer.