Usually the weeks leading up to free agency become one of the hottest periods for trades to take place. The Chicago Bears are one of those teams that never fear being active on the market. They proved it last season when they swung deals for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. It seems the same could be true again this year, but with a twist. This time it will be players going out instead of coming in. It’s already known wide receiver D.J. Moore could be on the block. Tremaine Edmunds was given permission to seek a trade. Now, Gervon Dexter is receiving a lot of interest. However, the big discussion centers on Tyson Bagent.

Quarterbacks are always the premium commodity in the NFL. This offseason could prove especially true. Free agency won’t offer any solutions outside of Malik Willis, who has been a career backup and will cost around $30 million. As for the draft, every QB not named Fernando Mendoza won’t crack the 1st round. In situations like this, teams can often get desperate. That means taking calculated risks on backups. Bagent is a popular name, having looked good in each of the past two preseasons and getting an education from head coach Ben Johnson. However, interested teams face a problem, according to Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports.

There’s been talk of teams interested in trading for Chicago Bears backup Tyson Bagent, but I’m told the only way the team moves him is if they’re offered a significant package of picks and/or players.

During the early part of the 2025 season, when Caleb Williams was struggling, I previously reported on the affection head coach Ben Johnson has for Bagent. I’m told that the Bears really like their quarterback room the way it presently stands. Not only does the team want to hold onto Bagent, but it will try to bring back 13-year veteran Case Keenum as a coach for the two younger signal callers.

The Bears have no reason or desire to move Tyson Bagent.

They already signed him to a contract extension last year, meaning they control him for two more seasons. That control is likely of interest to other teams. It gives them a two-year window to evaluate him on a cheap deal to see if he can play. Coach Johnson knows what he has, though. He believes Bagent is one of the 32 best quarterbacks in the league right now. In other words, this guy should be starting somewhere, and the Bears are fortunate enough to have him locked up.

Put simply, if you want him, you’ll have to make an offer with the idea that you’re trading for a starter. There have been plenty of starters traded in the NFL since 2000. Obviously, the biggest names involved at least a 1st round pick or more. Based on the information available, the Bears will be looking for a Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen package. That means a 2nd round pick and one or two late-round picks. It might sound crazy, but that is the nature of being in a seller’s market.

Is there a team out there willing to gamble on Bagent?

The one that started the rumors was Arizona. Their head coach, Mike LaFleur, is apparently a fan of the Bears’ quarterback. However, the believed offer from them would be a 4th or 5th rounder with incentives that could turn it into a 3rd. That won’t cut it. The Atlanta Falcons are another team to watch. Ian Cunningham was Chicago’s assistant GM when they signed Tyson Bagent as an undrafted free agent. He knows better than most what his makeup is and how good he could be. The Falcons will release Kirk Cousins soon and aren’t sold on Michael Penix. Bagent might be a worthwhile gamble, inheriting a talented supporting cast down there.

Not that it matters to the Bears. They are perfectly content with the way things are. This isn’t a team motivated to unload Bagent. In such cases, it is on the interested team(s) to make an offer that brings them to the table. It doesn’t sound like things have reached that point yet. Whether that changes might be determined by how free agency unfolds next month. All it takes is a couple of teams missing out on key veterans and not liking the draft to build a market. Poles will be listening.

The Chicago Bears have been patient with the state of Illinois, perhaps more so than most teams would be. There is something to be said for the history the state and the franchise have shared for over a century. However, everything has a breaking point. After three long years of tense discussions about helping the Bears build their new stadium in Arlington Heights, things finally seemed ready to move forward. The megaprojects bill that would give them infrastructure and property tax assistance was being heard by the House Revenue Committee on Thursday. It passed by a vote of 13-7.

Unfortunately, things fell apart on the House floor. According to Brenden Moore of Capitol News Illinois, the House adjourned before even hearing the bill. That means the Bears must wait another two weeks before it reconvenes in mid-March. It sounds like there is still considerable resistance inside the state government on this issue. The wait will continue for fans who have grown weary of the matter. A better question is, have the Bears run out of patience? Don’t forget it was reported that if nothing was achieved by the end of February, they’d choose to leave for Indiana.

Indiana continues their courting of the Chicago Bears.

While Illinois keeps hemming and hawing over the issue, its eastern neighbor had no such qualms. Their state senate has already approved a new bill that would make it much easier for big businesses to build in Northwestern Indiana by providing infrastructure and property tax support. It passed by a 45-4 vote. It will now go to the governor’s desk for a signature, which is expected in the next 24 hours. They have shown time and time again that they are serious about bringing the Chicago Bears to the region.

Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker has insisted that talks have been productive for the past few weeks. The problem is that not everyone in his government agrees on this issue. Many believe the Bears don’t deserve any tax breaks for what, in their minds, is a vanity project for the billionaire McCaskey family. This division could cost the state one of its most historic entertainment draws. Indiana is almost ready to go, and Illinois is basically telling the Bears they’ll have to wait. That doesn’t seem like a sound strategy.

The Bears’ decision, from a business standpoint, is obvious.

They should take the deal with Indiana and not look back. That state wants them and is willing to provide the financial incentives to make it happen. Under normal circumstances, the Bears probably would’ve already started the process of leaving. However, when you have over 100 years of history with a state whose name is in your literal fight song, it is difficult to just up and leave. The McCaskeys never wanted to move to Indiana. It just got to a point where they couldn’t take being ignored anymore.

More than ever, it feels like a breaking point is near. If the Illinois government fails to make a decision on this bill next month, it is a safe bet that the Bears will cease all negotiations and begin their shift to Indiana. They’ve already shown interest in the town of Hammond, which is a half-hour drive from downtown Chicago. They would be free to remake the land as they desired, turning it into a major tourist destination. Once the debt on the stadium is paid, they will own it fully.

Something has to give.

When discussing the Chicago Bears’ 2026 draft plans, most agree that the primary focus will be on the defense. Left tackle is the only position the team has to worry about offensively. Meanwhile, they have several unanswered questions on the defensive side. Both starting safeties will be free agents this year. Tremaine Edmudns was just granted permission to seek a trade. That basically means he’ll get cut if his agents can’t find a taker. Then you have the defensive line. Andrew Billings is a free agent. Dayo Odeyingbo is recovering from an Achilles tear. Dennis Allen needs help on that side of the ball.

The Bears’ defensive coordinator is certain to have a strong voice in the evaluation process. It’s his unit after all. General manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson will receive his input on types of players he’d prefer at every position, then adjust their draft board accordingly. Here is where things get complicated. Quinten Krzysko of On Tap Sports pointed out something noteworthy. If you follow Allen’s long career as a defensive coordinator and head coach, he tends to build his defensive lines a specific way.

This has led to a rather unique quirk regarding defensive tackles his teams have drafted over the past 15 years.

Dennis Allen is very particular with his defensive tackles.

The data backs up what Krzysko says. Since 2012, every defensive tackle taken in the first three rounds of the draft, while Allen ran the unit, was under 300 lbs. They were known for their athleticism, quickness, and violence. The one correction is that technically the picks don’t go over 300 lbs until the 4th round, not the 6th. Still, the point is pretty clear. Allen doesn’t think it’s necessary to target bigger defensive tackles early in the draft. You have favorable odds of landing one later on.

It isn’t a coincidence that Allen’s best defensive unit of his career, the 2020 Saints, finished in the top five in total interior pressures. The combination of David Onyemata and Sheldon Rankins created havoc in the middle. Unfortunately, Rankins left after that season, and the defense took a dip. It’s becoming clear why the Bears pursued Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency. Both fit the exact types of players that Allen built that Saints defense with. One should expect that plan to continue in this draft.

The Bears face a problem in this regard.

Knowing this information, it’s only natural to look at the 2026 draft class and seek out the top defensive tackles who come in at 300 lbs or less. There is one problem. None of the top options in the draft currently fit those criteria. When looking at all five of the names expected to be in the mix for the 1st round this year, three of them are over 320. That leaves Peter Woods of Clemson (listed at 298). As of now, he is the only one who fits the criteria. Christen Miller of Georgia, originally listed at 305, came in at 321 at the combine.

This could mean one of two things. The first possibility is that Dennis Allen might have to compromise on his standards by a few pounds. It isn’t crazy to think he could get one of those guys to shed some weight, slimming them down to gain some quickness. If not, then the Bears may have to wait on finding that defensive tackle until day two, when guys like Grace Halton come into play. It is an interesting dilemma for the Bears to sort through, and much depends on if they think dropping weight might negatively impact Woods’s games.

The Gervon Dexter situation makes this even more interesting.

Word came out on Thursday that teams are calling the Bears about the 24-year-old defensive tackle. It makes some sense. He’s coming off a career-best six sacks, but has just one year left on his contract and isn’t a great fit for the scheme Dennis Allen runs. With so much money already invested on the line, it is unlikely the team will want to pay him. That leaves them with two options. They either trade Gervon Dexter now or let him play out his contract and leave as a free agent in 2027, likely netting them a future compensatory pick.

If they go the former route, it makes defensive tackle in the 1st round a virtual certainty. That creates a problem. If Peter Woods goes before the 25th pick, which is a strong possibility, none of the remaining options meet Allen’s criteria for the position. That means they’d have to draft somebody out of his comfort zone or reach for somebody who would not be considered 1st round material. Neither of those options feel like the proper way to build a roster.