The Bears are reportedly interested in adding a Vikings pass rusher in free agency, but probably not the pass rusher you’re thinking of right now. Star edge player Danielle Hunter has been linked to the Bears in rumors and reports for weeks, but on Tuesday Jeremy Fowler reported that it’s his teammate D.J. Wonnum who will visit with the team this week.
Wonnum is an outside linebacker in the Vikings’ 3-4 scheme, but he has some experience rushing with his hand in the dirt too, which he would do as a defensive end in the Bears’ 4-3 front.
The Vikings drafted Wonnum in the fourth round of the 2020 draft. In the four years since, Wonnum was an on-and-off starter, and his production was equally variable. He was primarily a starter in both the 2023 and 2021 seasons, and finished each of those years with eight sacks. But he had just three sacks in 2020 and four in 2022 working as a rotational player.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
Bears GM Ryan Poles is expected to add another defensive end this offseason to work opposite Montez Sweat. Last year, DeMarcus Walker played well as a starter when Yannick Ngakoue suffered a season-ending ankle injury towards the end of the season. But with just Walker, Sweat and Dominique Robinson on the active roster under contract for the upcoming year the team will need to bring in several more players to fill out the room.
In four seasons, Wonnum has played in 62 games with 31 starts. He has 23 sacks, 24 TFL, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one defensive touchdown to his name.
