NFL Rumors: Chicago Bears GM Still Eyeing Big Trade Early in 2026 Season
· Yahoo Sports
The Chicago Bears will take the field in 2026 with one of the best NFL offenses. However, for quarterback Caleb Williams and head coach Ben Johnson to have a shot at the Lombardi Trophy, reinforcements are needed defensively. It appears that general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears front office are continuing to make that a priority.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano noted that Poles is still searching for a “strong edge presence” to acquire and pair opposite of pass rusher Montez Sweat on Chicago’s defensive line. While nothing is imminent, the NFL insider does believe that Poles could wind up swinging a deal to acquire an edge defender ahead of the NFL trade deadline in November.
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Chicago’s secondary is also thin right now. During Bears training camp, a safety went down with a knee injury. The issue was initially expected to sideline him for 8 to 10 weeks, but the team later updated that timeline with the free-agent signing now expected to miss five to six months of action. On top of that, cornerback Kyler Gordon is opening the season on the physically unable to perform list with a calf injury. While he’s going to miss the first four games at a minimum, the team fears it could be an even longer absence.
A weaker secondary puts even more stress on Chicago’s defensive line being able to get after the quarterback consistently. In 2025, the Bears ranked 22nd in pressure rate (22.1%) with the second-worst ESPN pass-rush win rate (29 percent) in the NFL. Sweat did lead the team with 10 sacks this past season, but that also came just a year after he netted just 5.5 sacks in 16 games.
Poles did sign pass rusher Marcus Davenport in the middle of August. A former first-round pick, Davenport is back with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, whom he played under with the New Orleans Saints. However, the 30-year-old has dealt with significant durability issues in recent years, playing in just 14 total games with 3.5 sacks over the last three seasons.
There could be several high-end edge rushers available close to the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 10, but even rebuilding teams are unlikely to even consider a move until late October. So, if Poles wants to acquire an edge rusher in the more immediate future, it will likely be more of a role player who could make a marginal impact on improving Chicago’s pass rush.