For the past couple of weeks, the buzz around the Chicago Bears and their plans for the 2026 trade deadline has really picked up. They have until November 10th to make a move. What nobody knows for certain is their plan. Most agree that defense is their primary focus for obvious reasons. However, nothing has been concrete beyond that. A few names have floated around as strong possibilities. All of them share the same thing in common. They’re edge rushers. Khalil Mack, Josh Sweat, and Jermaine Johnson are some of the names mentioned. However, Albert Breer of the MMQB doesn’t think that is where general manager Ryan Poles is focused.
Sure, they wouldn’t mind edge rush help, but the true desire lay at defensive tackle. Breer explained on The Herd that helping along the interior is something the Bears are stressing.
This isn’t at all a surprise. Dennis Allen has long stressed the importance of interior pressure. He wants his defensive ends to set the edge, contain the pocket, and harass the quarterback up the middle, where the quarterback is most vulnerable. Unfortunately, their best interior rusher keeps getting hurt. Dayo Odeyingbo was off to a great start this season. Now he’s out with a quad injury. Grady Jarrett, Kentavius Street, and Jordan Van Den Berg haven’t been able to generate much heat.
The Chicago Bears may have a pretty good market.
That is always the key. Wanting help at a certain position is great, but it doesn’t matter if the market offers few options. This particular deadline might be tilting in their favor. Several teams look like they’ll be sellers this year, and some of them boast some defensive tackles that would be immediate help.
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- Jeff Simmons (Titans)
- Moro Ojomo (Eagles)
- Zach Sieler (Dolphins)
- Adetomiwa Adebawore (Colts)
- Sheldon Rankins (Texans)
- Daron Payne (Commanders)
The big fish of the group is obviously Simmons. He is one of the three or four best defensive tackles in football, dominant against the run and as a pass rusher. Sieler has been one of the more underrated players over the past few years, consistently generating strong rushes. Rankins spent years playing for Dennis Allen in New Orleans. He still has juice at age 32. The biggest riser of the group is Adebawore, posting 15 pressures and 4 sacks with a 17.2 win rate, second-best among defensive tackles. Payne isn’t having one of his best years but still has 17 pressures. Ojomo is probably the most intriguing. He’s only 25 years old and had 6 sacks last season. He hasn’t gotten one yet in 2026, but still has 16 pressures.
So who do the Bears pursue?
Looking at this from the perspective of Poles, you have to think that Ojomo and Adebawore are his primary targets. Both are on the younger side and are someone he can build with in the future. Each becomes a free agent next year. The Bears will have the ability to create enough cap space to keep either one. It comes down to who is available and how much they’ll cost. Adebawore is having the better season, so he might require more. Ojomo has a size advantage that is worth noting. Allen likes bigger linemen. Then again, Adebawore is more explosive.
Of course, the Chicago Bears could bypass all of that and take a home run swing on Simmons. He is the best player who could be available on the market, regardless of position. If there is somebody Poles truly seeks to give his defense a championship boost, it would be him. Would he pay the likely 1st round price tag? Only he can answer that question. We’ll know in less than two weeks.
