The Chicago Bears are 2-1 after a stellar performance against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. More than ever, this looks like a football team that is ready to compete. As the calendar turns to October, their schedule suddenly looks plenty manageable. They have the 1-2 Jets, 1-2 Packers, and 1-2 Falcons on the slate. If they can clean up that stretch, they will be 5-1 with the trade deadline right around the corner. If that happens, general manager Ryan Poles will have all the incentive in the world to be aggressive.
He certainly should have a clearer idea of who may or may not be available a few weeks from now. Based on the current landscape, the Bears will have a massive opportunity to add more help on defense. Here are some names they should be seriously looking at.
Some fascinating trade targets are emerging for the Chicago Bears.
DL Jeffery Simmons (Tennessee Titans)
Simmons elected to stay with the Titans despite the team’s struggles last year, believing they were pointed in the right direction. Now they might be the worst team in football. There are no signs of it getting any better with how much quarterback Cam Ward is struggling. Simmons is 29 years old. He isn’t past his prime yet, but it’s getting closer by the day. Time is running out for him to join a team that can actually compete. With all due respect to Grady Jarrett and Neville Gallimore, Simmons is the type of game-changer that this defense is missing on the interior.
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EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu (Los Angeles Chargers)
The Chargers don’t feel like a team eager to consider a rebuild. Their quarterback is squarely in his prime, and they can’t afford to waste time starting from scratch. Still, they may wish to do a soft reboot. Remember, Tuipulotu wasn’t drafted by the current regime there. They may wish to bring in more of their own guys. The 26-year-old is a free agent next offseason. He just had 13 sacks in 2025 and has 1.5 through three games this year. There is no question that he’d be an immediate boost to the Bears’ pass rush.
EDGE Danielle Hunter (Houston Texans)
Houston starting 0-3 was not on anybody’s bingo card. This team has been a perennial playoff participant for years. Would they consider shaking things up if this slide continues? Hunter has been a fantastic player for them since his arrival, but he turns 32 at the end of October and will see his cap hit balloon to $45 million in 2027. Even if the Chicago Bears aren’t interested in extending him, renting a player like Hunter even for half a season could prove lucrative, especially in the playoffs.
LB Jordyn Brooks (Miami Dolphins)
This isn’t a question that’s been asked much, but are the Chicago Bears happy with their linebacker situation? It probably isn’t the best sign that Dillon Thieneman, a rookie safety, leads the team in tackles. That might be why the team is 22nd against the run. They need somebody who can really get to the football. Brooks has been a tackling machine for years, posting 183 last season alone. He is also an excellent blitzer, which defensive coordinator Dennis Allen would waste no time exploiting.
EDGE YaYa Diaby (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Another young pass rusher who flashed lots of promise last season with 7 sacks. He won’t be a true multiplier like others on the list, but if you’re looking for a quality rotational guy, you could do a lot worse. Tampa Bay was already showing signs of crumbling last year. It has finally reached a crisis point. If they’re approaching a soft reboot, then unloading Diaby for some draft capital makes sense. He may not completely change the big picture for the Bears, but he’d make them a better football team.
