Coming off a needed Week 6 win and getting Caleb Williams back from his hamstring injury, the Bears suddenly look a lot more steady at 4-2. They survived three games without Williams, going 2-1 in that span, and now they can talk themselves into being more than just a nice story.
But if Chicago wants to be a real contender, this roster still needs help on defense. There are gaps there, and with the November 10 trade deadline looming, general manager Ryan Poles should be thinking hard about adding at least one piece.
Here’s a ranked look at five names that make sense for the Bears.
At the top of the board sits DeForest Buckner, the kind of interior force who can change how a defense looks on the field. The Colts are 2-4 and just lost to the lowly Tennessee Titans, and the firing of general manager Chris Ballard could be only the beginning. Buckner was not happy with what he saw in that loss, and with Indianapolis looking like a team headed for a rebuild or retool, he’s become a name to watch.
Buckner is a free agent next year, is still playing at a high level, and has already piled up 4.0 sacks this season. At 32, he probably doesn’t have a ton of elite football left, but he’s the type of player worth chasing for now and maybe beyond that. The Bears should absolutely see what it would take to get him if the Colts keep sliding.
Khalil Mack is right behind him, and Bears fans know exactly why that name still carries weight. The Chargers are 0-6 and look completely lost, like a team in need of a full reset.
Mack is on a one-year deal and is 35 years old, but he got off to a hot start with 3.0 sacks in his first four games. He has stayed at that number over the last two games as the Chargers have spiraled, but a chance to win again could still bring something more out of him.
A sixth-round pick might be enough to get a deal done.
Josh Sweat checks in at No. 3.
Arizona did win in Week 6, but that shouldn’t keep the Cardinals from listening on the 29-year-old edge rusher. Sweat has two sacks in six games and just six pressures per PFR, but his name has been in trade chatter for a while and a move seems possible.
He wouldn’t have to cost much more than a fourth-round pick, and he’d fit as a No. 2 or No. 3 rusher depending on how Chicago views him alongside Dayo Odeyingbo. His contract runs through the 2028 season at an average of $19 million per year, which makes him manageable from a long-term standpoint.
Zyon McCollum lands at No. 4, and he gives the Bears a different kind of upgrade. Tampa Bay is 1-5 and has already had plenty go wrong, including Baker Mayfield missing time because of injury.
McCollum, though, has been one of the few bright spots. In six games, he’s given up only one touchdown in coverage and has added seven pass breakups, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.
Chicago could use help at corner, even with Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson in place and Malik Muhammad able to slide outside full time now that Kyler Gordon is back. McCollum, 27, is under contract for two more years and carries an average salary of $16 million.
Tuli Tuipulotu rounds out the list at No. 5.
The 24-year-old Chargers edge rusher is another player who makes sense if Los Angeles decides to start selling off pieces. The Chargers are a mess, and Tuipulotu’s 2.0 sacks and nine quarterback pressures through six games likely don’t tell the full story, especially on a team this dysfunctional.
The Bears saw how much they needed pass-rush help when Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo were both out last week, even though Dennis Allen’s group still managed to pressure Michael Penix Jr. That kind of production was encouraging, but it also underscored the bigger issue: Chicago probably isn’t deep enough up front to chase a championship as currently built.
Tuipulotu is in the final year of his rookie deal, so any trade would have to come with an extension plan already in mind. Otherwise, paying premium draft capital would make no sense. If the Bears could land him for a third-round pick, that’s the kind of swing that starts to get interesting.
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The Bears Week 6 win over the Falcons offered Caleb Williams and the offense another reason to feel encouraged, and it came from a rookie class that keeps finding ways to matter. Dillon Thieneman, Malik Muhammad and Zavion Thomas all had visible roles in the game, with Thieneman adding pressure on defense, Muhammad handling a notable workload in the secondary and Thomas contributing in more than one phase.
Chicago also worked in a deeper group of first-year players, a sign the staff is still willing to lean on youth as the season moves forward. Sam Roush, Skyler Thomas and Jordan van den Berg all saw the field, while Logan Jones also got in on the action, giving the Bears more evidence that this rookie class is becoming part of the weekly picture rather than just an emergency option. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Just Turned The NFC North Race Into A Real Debate
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Minnesota still has the edge for now, but the path ahead is far from simple, and that matters for a Bears team trying to stay in the conversation. Chicagos latest step forward only adds to the sense that this division could tighten quickly if the Vikings hit turbulence, especially with the Packers climbing and the Lions not looking quite as secure as their standing suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Win Could Not Hide One Growing Cairo Santos Concern
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Santos is now 8-for-11 on field goal attempts, and that is the sort of number that can look fine until a game turns late and a longer try becomes unavoidable. For a Bears team thinking beyond the regular season, the issue is not just one miss on one Sunday, but whether Chicago needs to keep a close eye on possible upgrades before a tighter spotlight arrives. [Read more 🡒]