The Chicago Bears are now 3-1 through the first quarter of 2026. That is as good a start as anybody could ask for. They have a major opportunity to build on it, too, with games against the struggling Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons up next. If the positive trend continues, they will approach the end of October at 5-1. That almost has to pop the door wide open for an aggressive move ahead of the trade deadline. In fact, certain people close to the organization have begun saying the same thing.
It started with former center Olin Kreutz. He believes the Bears’ strong start will compel them to go after a potential difference-maker. This team is already good. If they can land an impact player, they might emerge as a favorite in the NFC. Not far behind him was Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, who echoed those thoughts. Both men were in step on one point. If the Bears do decide to make a move in the next couple of weeks, expect it to come on the defensive side of the ball.
It all depends on how aggressive the Chicago Bears want to be.
That and who is possibly available. In these situations, you always look at the teams that are all but out of the playoff picture. As of writing this, five teams in the league remain winless at 0-4: Tampa Bay, Miami, Houston, Tennessee, and Los Angeles. Which among them might be willing to unload a top player on the roster for draft capital? The Dolphins don’t have much to offer. They already purged much of the roster in the offseason as they kick-started a rebuild. The Chargers and Texans may not be willing to unload key pieces since both made the playoffs in 2024 and 2025.
Probably the most interesting are the Titans. They have one gigantic worm to dangle on the hook. That is defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, considered among the best interior pass rushers in the league. He finished with 11 sacks last season and has 2 in the first month of 2026. That doesn’t even include his excellent presence against the run. As for Tampa Bay, you’re probably looking at massive nose tackle Vita Vea. He’d be an instant upgrade to the Chicago Bears’ run defense and is a much better rusher than he gets credit for.
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How aggressive is Ryan Poles ready to be?
Based on what we’ve seen from the Bears’ general manager since he took over, we know he’s willing to go as high as a 2nd round pick to acquire a player. He proved it both with Chase Claypool in 2022 and Montez Sweat in 2023. Would that be enough to acquire somebody like Simmons or Vea? It also depends on Poles’ opinion of both players. He doesn’t seem like the type of guy who’d give up a premium draft pick for what could be a half-season rental. He’d want somebody who could help the Bears for at least a couple of years.
In those circumstances, Simmons is probably your best hope. He’s under contract through 2030 and is 29 years old. Barring injuries, he can probably give you two more good-to-great seasons before you start worrying about a decline. The problem is that his contract carries a hefty annual cap hit of $30 million or more. The Bears don’t have the space for that. They’d have to make some serious sacrifices for it to work. It will be interesting to see how that handicap plays a role.
