The Bears already got a jump on 2026 trade season by shipping defensive tackle Gervon Dexter to the Atlanta Falcons for cornerback Clark Phlllips III and a fifth-round pick. That move may not be the last one Ryan Poles makes, either. If the right opportunity comes along before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, Chicago could keep dealing.
Here are four players who could be on the move.
Roschon Johnson is one name worth watching in the backfield. He won the No. 3 job over Salvon Ahmed in training camp, and with Kyle Monangai’s status still looking fairly murky because of a knee injury, the 2023 fourth-round pick could end up with more offensive work than expected early on.
If he handles that role well, his limited usage before last season suggests he has some real value as a runner. But once Monangai is healthy again, Johnson could slide back into the special teams role the Bears clearly value him for.
And with Ahmed sitting on the practice squad unless another team takes him first, Johnson starts to look like a player who could draw interest from a team willing to give him a bigger offensive opportunity.
Garrett Bradbury also belongs on the list, even though the Bears only brought him in back in March. The whole conversation around a possible trade comes down to rookie second-round pick Logan Jones and whether he’s ready to take over at center right away.
Jones’ preseason work - just three pressures allowed on 82 pass blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus - at least keeps that debate alive. The Week 1 center job has slipped a bit under the radar because of the questions elsewhere on the line, but it still matters.
Bradbury was never viewed as a long-term answer after Drew Dalman retired, and if Jones is ready, the veteran center could become a movable piece.
Tyrique Stevenson is another player whose situation could shift quickly. Right now, he looks set as the Bears’ starting perimeter corner opposite Jaylon Johnson.
But if the room changes the way it could - with Phillips adding depth and rookie Malik Muhammad possibly being ready for that role - Stevenson could find himself squeezed out. He’s already been in that kind of spot before.
When Chicago didn’t have the cornerback options it has now late last season, he was effectively benched. If that kind of thing happens again, especially earlier in the year, the Bears may decide to send him somewhere else.
Braxton Jones is the last name to keep in mind, though his case is tied to health and timing. He’s coming back from a torn patellar tendon eight months ago, and that still feels too soon to expect him to be fully past it before the opener.
For now, he’s holding down left tackle until Trapilo is ready. If Jones stays healthy and gives the Bears solid play in however many starts he makes, his cheap one-year deal could make him attractive to teams hunting for help at left tackle.
Theo Benedet would still be there as the swing tackle, giving Chicago some insurance on both sides.
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