The Chicago Bears have scraped by without a definitive pass rush presence for years. Montez Sweat is a good player, but not somebody who demands extra attention. The same is true of Austin Booker. As Dennis Allen said recently, in the absence of those elite guys, you need to stack up a collection of good ones. As things stand, the Bears don’t have enough. Dayo Odeyingbo is more functional inside, leaving only Sweat and Booker as viable edge options. That is why you continue hearing so much buzz ahead of the trade deadline for guys like Khalil Mack or Josh Sweat. However, are not enough people considering Will McDonald?
Here’s what we know about general manager Ryan Poles. When he decides to take a significant swing on the market, the players have generally followed a similar pattern. They must have been productive at some point in their NFL career but are still on the younger side. Chase Claypool had back-to-back 800-yard seasons in Pittsburgh and was 24 years old. Sweat had 8 sacks in 2022 and was 27. McDonald is 27 and has 20.5 sacks since the start of 2024. However, there is an added wrinkle that makes him even more attractive for the Bears. Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports covered it.
“Multiple teams have inquired about McDonald’s availability since last year’s trade deadline, yet the Jets not only rebuffed offers; they picked up his fifth-year option this past April. That may make McDonald more attractive on the trade market, as any team that wants the pass rusher will be getting more than a half-year rental, as he’s under contract for approximately $13.75 million in 2027.
People in the league I’ve spoken with believe it would be best for both him and the team to move McDonald by the trade deadline, especially if the Jets don’t turn it around and continue their losing ways.”
Will McDonald has one big problem that wasn’t in his control.
That is stability. Since arriving as a 1st round pick in 2023, the New York Jets have had two different head coaches and three different defensive coordinators. Asking a young player to thrive in that kind of turmoil is unfair. McDonald needed steady development and patience, not chaos. For him to still be productive despite that is a testament to his raw talent. One thing the Bears can certainly offer him is stability. This coaching staff isn’t going anywhere. Ben Johnson remains firmly in charge while Dennis Allen runs the defense.
Neither is going anywhere. Will McDonald will have a competent staff around him to help push his abilities to their full potential. Probably the biggest obstacle is Allen’s personal preferences. He prefers bigger defensive ends with length and power, mostly because they have an easier time stopping the run. McDonald is only 245 lbs, so that might be more difficult. His value is primarily as a pass rusher. Can Allen look past that lack of versatility? He should. One is far more valuable than the other.
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The price shouldn’t be exorbitant.
Age, production, and contract status likely put it somewhere between a 2nd and 3rd rounder. Much depends on how many teams are pursuing him. Poles hasn’t been afraid of that price tag before. We saw that with Montez Sweat three years ago. He was the same age as McDonald. The Jets aren’t showing any signs of competing this season, so adding more high selections is in their best interests. McDonald wasn’t drafted by the current regime, so he would be an obvious piece to sell.
Everything lines up the same way it did for Sweat: still young, productive, some contract control remaining, and likely hungry to join a winner. Besides, the Bears already saw him earlier this season when they played the Jets. They have a good idea of what he’s capable of. The only thing left to do is call about his availability. Smart money says that takes place within the next week or so.
