Most of the attention has shifted to the regular season. Less than two weeks separate the Chicago Bears from their next effort to chase that elusive second Lombardi trophy. They made terrific progress last season, going 11-6, winning the division, and beating Green Bay in the playoffs. However, as head coach Ben Johnson said, it wasn’t good enough. They have to get better. Expectations are that the offense will be even more dangerous than it was last season as its array of young talent matures. The concerns lay on defense.
Tremaine Edmunds was cut. Gervon Dexter was traded. Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Nahshon Wright, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson left in free agency. Kyler Gordon is still injured. Coby Bryant is out until October. It’s hard to feel good about the state of things, and this doesn’t address the fact that the Bears still haven’t found a legitimate pass rusher to play opposite Montez Sweat. Austin Booker hasn’t practiced in weeks. He’s an unknown at best. That might explain why Dan Graziano of ESPN is hearing some interesting updates on Chicago.
The Chicago Bears are hunting the trade market for pass rush help.
“Don’t be surprised if … the Bears still trade for an edge rusher.
What I’m hearing: Chicago is thin on defense, especially on the back end. But it’s up front where the team is still looking for a strong edge presence opposite Montez Sweat. The Bears added veteran Marcus Davenport a couple of weeks ago, but that move doesn’t appear to be working out; they let Davenport go in their initial cut down to 53 players over the weekend before bringing him back on the practice squad. Bears GM Ryan Poles has been an active and aggressive trader in his time with the team, and he’ll turn over every rock he can looking for an impact player up front. The Bears’ health issues on defense might be more concentrated on the back end, but improving the pass rush would help the secondary, too.”
Ryan Poles is likely hoping an opportunity will open.
Right now, asking prices are too high. Pass rushers are always expensive. It is the nature of the position’s importance. The really good ones almost always go for at least a 1st round pick. Often more. That has been a price tag the Bears’ general manager has been unwilling to pay. The highest he ever went was a 2nd rounder for Sweat in 2023. That worked out well, but the situation was very unusual. It was fortunate timing as Washington was in the midst of an ownership change.
Such circumstances are unlikely to materialize again. That means the Bears will need some help in other ways. The most common in these situations is a team getting off to a bad start and deciding to sell off expensive contracts for draft capital. That means the Bears should be looking at teams that have a chance to not play well through the season’s first two months. Then you see if they have any rushers worth considering. From the Bears’ perspective, the Cardinals, Raiders, Giants, and Steelers are probably the ones to circle.
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| Player | Team | Age | 2025 sacks | Contract | Odds by Nov. 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Sweat | Cardinals | 29 | 12.0 | 4 yrs, $76.4M through 2028; $38M was guaranteed at signing | Highest of this group. Best combination of production, cheap remaining 2026 money, and a possible seller |
| Maxx Crosby | Raiders | 29 | 10.0 | Extension through 2029; $35.8M 2026 cap; $30.8M 2026 cash | Medium. The market exists. The medical file is the only reason he is still in Vegas |
| Brian Burns | Giants | 28 | 16.5 | 5 yrs, $141M through 2028; $87.5M guaranteed | Low. Only in play if New York is buried by November and a contender eats the remaining money |
| T.J. Watt | Steelers | 32 | 7.0 | 3-yr, $123M extension; $108M fully guaranteed | Lowest. Franchise pillar + huge guarantees + official “not this year” reports |
The Bears must also do their part.
Planning a potential move is great and all, but it won’t matter if the Chicago Bears aren’t winning. No team in its right mind would flip a valuable draft asset for a veteran player with a big contract if they have a losing record. The Bears must be in a position to contend for the playoffs by the beginning of November to justify such a move. There are reasons to feel confident that they should be. Head coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams have consistently shown they can find ways to win.
They aren’t the problem. It all depends on the defense. Can it play even average football over that span? Health problems continue hovering around the group. They face no shortage of capable offensive opponents in September and October. Having to win constant shootouts is never easy in this league. Dennis Allen’s unit must find ways to contribute without relying on takeaways as they did last year.
