The Chicago Bears are heading toward an active NFL trade deadline, and the obvious name hanging over everything is Khalil Mack. That’s where the conversation has started, but it may not be where it ends. With a clear need at edge rusher, Chicago could end up looking beyond the Los Angeles Chargers star and still land a major piece for the defense.
If Mack isn’t the move, the Bears still have several edge-rushing options worth tracking.
One name that stands out is Tuli Tuipulotu of the Chargers. At 24, he offers a much younger profile than Mack, who is 35, and the production has been close enough to make the comparison worthwhile.
Tuipulotu is also due a contract this offseason, which is part of why he could be on the block. The catch is that the price would likely be steeper than the one attached to Mack.
Josh Sweat of the Arizona Cardinals also fits the conversation. He joined Arizona to play for Jonathan Gannon, but Gannon was dismissed after his first season, and Sweat has not been as productive in that setup. With the Cardinals off to a 2-5 start, they should at least be willing to hear offers.
Yaya Diaby is another intriguing possibility for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is set to hit free agency after this season and just came off a three-sack game.
Tampa Bay is still in the division race, but sitting at 2-5 puts the club in a spot where it has to consider whether holding onto Diaby is the right call, especially if a pick is available now. He brings run-stopping value and averages seven sacks per season, which makes him a strong fit.
K’Lavon Chaisson of the Washington Commanders belongs on the list as well. He is on a one-year deal, and Washington’s 1-4-1 record leaves room for the team to slide into seller mode if another loss stacks up. Chaisson put together a career-high 7.5 sacks last season, and at 27, there is still some upside left to tap into.
Jermaine Johnson, now with the Tennessee Titans, rounds out the group. A former first-round pick by the New York Jets, Johnson is playing out his fifth-year option season under Robert Saleh, who drafted him in New York.
The Titans sit at 1-6, and Johnson is nearing free agency. His size is exactly what Dennis Allen wants in his defense.
If the Bears miss on Mack, they still could walk away with a strong fallback option and maybe even unlock the potential of a former first-round talent.
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Chicago now has to account for the possibility that Nelson is in uniform when the teams meet, which would change the balance inside against a Seahawks offense that already had a reason to feel better about its front. Even if the timing of the move leaves some uncertainty around how quickly he can fit in, the Bears suddenly have another name to worry about before a game that was already shaping up to test them in the trenches. [Read more 🡒]