It’s still very early in the season, but it feels like Week 1 confirmed at least one thing. The Chicago Bears‘ offense could be special. Scoring 59 points on its own is insane. Doing so while being flagged for 5 penalties and committing a turnover on the opening possession makes you wonder how much worse it could’ve been for the Carolina Panthers. Unfortunately, not everything was great on Sunday. The Bears’ defense was tough to watch at times, struggling to stop Bryce Young, who finished with 361 yards through the air. It wasn’t the pass rush. They had 22 pressures. This fiasco belonged to the secondary, which may explain the recent buzz regarding Joey Porter Jr.
Things aren’t in a good place between the 26-year-old cornerback and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He wants a new contract. Pittsburgh’s attempts to find common ground have fallen short. Things have grown contentious between the two sides. Porter refused to suit up for opening day against Atlanta, and it doesn’t look like he’s planning to change that stance anytime soon. That is why trade speculation is ramping up. According to Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports and NFL.com, the Bears are one of the top teams to watch on that front.
Joey Porter to the Chicago Bears
“If you watched the Bears’ Week 1 demolition of the Panthers, you know they have what could be a special offense. Defensively, however, things are less settled. They allowed 37 points at Carolina, giving up four receptions of 27 yards or longer, including a 51-yard TD pass.
The Bears also check the scheme box. They were on the higher end of the man-coverage spectrum last season and appeared to play an even higher percentage in Week 1. Porter and Jaylon Johnson would make a fine pair, and the depth is sparse thereafter, but can the team afford to pay two corners more than $50 million next season?”
The Bears have good reasons to be interested.
Sunday raised serious concerns about the situation at cornerback. Tyrique Stevenson was victimized by Carolina, allowing 4 catches for 77 yards and 2 touchdowns. Even more alarming was Jaylon Johnson. After what many felt was a strong camp, the former Pro Bowler allowed 127 yards on 5 completions. The only one who played pretty well was rookie 4th round pick Malik Muhammad. Kyler Gordon is still on the shelf with a calf injury. The Bears are in trouble if this is how their cornerback situation stays.
For months, people have begged the team to trade for a difference-making pass rusher. That was the missing ingredient. Now? It feels like coverage might be the bigger concern. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen hinted at this before the season. Last year, the team didn’t always do a good job of forcing quarterbacks to their second or third reads. Joey Porter Jr. would go a long way in changing that. The former 2nd round pick had his best all-around season in 2025 with 1 interception, 14 passes defended, and a 57.2 passer rating allowed.
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His length, physicality, and athleticism all fit this scheme perfectly.
The price tag will determine everything.
Porter is a good enough player to almost certainly demand at least a 2nd round pick. However, the lack of a Pro Bowl nod, along with that contract situation, means the Steelers may not get a 1st like they want. We’ve already seen GM Ryan Poles do business with them before. Everybody remembers the Chase Claypool trade, which ironically landed Porter in Pittsburgh. Poles isn’t afraid to deal 2nd round picks for younger players. You saw that with Montez Sweat in 2023. The big question is whether the Bears are willing to hand him a major contract extension. Don’t forget Johnson also needs a new one as well.
If they do it, there will undoubtedly be a significant series of cap moves in the offseason. Grady Jarrett, Dayo Odeyingbo, and T.J. Edwards will all be gone. They’ll also have to decide what to do with Montez Sweat. Do they restructure his contract, extend him to ease the cap hit, or trade him? Either way, a trade for Porter likely means the next Bears’ draft will be focused on their front seven, especially the defensive line. As things stand, the team likely won’t make any knee-jerk decisions.
