The Bears have a winning record, a hot offense and one glaring issue that suddenly sits right in the middle of everything: tight end.
Chicago is 6-2 after lighting up Seattle, but Cole Kmet is done for the season, and that leaves Ben Johnson working with a thinner room than he probably wanted this deep into the year. Colston Loveland has already shown promise, but expecting the rookie to absorb everything Kmet handled is a tall ask.
Kmet’s value was never just about catches anyway. He was part of the blocking structure, helped create running lanes and gave Johnson the freedom to use multiple tight end looks without tipping the play call.
With the November 10th trade deadline coming fast, Ryan Poles has a real choice to make: stay put and trust the current group, or spend another draft pick to shore up the position for Caleb Williams.
Mike Moraitis of Sports Illustrated pointed to three trade possibilities that could help Chicago deal with its sudden lack of depth: Dallas Goedert, Mo Alie-Cox and Luke Schoonmaker.
Goedert is the most accomplished pass catcher of the bunch. He would give Williams another proven target, especially on third downs and in the red zone.
The Eagles veteran has spent years in an offense that asks its tight ends to do real work as both receivers and blockers, and he is on an expiring contract, which makes him an interesting short-term fix. The catch, of course, is the price.
Chicago already paid up to acquire Simmons, and another meaningful draft pick for a player who might walk after the season is a tough sell.
Alie-Cox may not bring the flash, but he could bring exactly what this offense needs. The Colts veteran has built his reputation on physical blocking and the kind of dirty work that rarely gets much attention.
With Loveland already in place as the field-stretcher and mismatch piece, Alie-Cox would let the Bears keep more of their current offensive structure intact instead of asking their young tight ends to cover every job Kmet used to handle. He also figures to cost less than Goedert.
Schoonmaker is the cheaper swing, but he comes with more uncertainty. The Cowboys tight end has not become a steady receiving threat, though he does bring NFL experience and could add depth.
There are also questions about his health and what Chicago could realistically expect from him right away. He would not have to be a starter, though.
The Bears simply need another reliable body who can block, handle assignments and give Johnson some flexibility.
Rookie Sam Roush has already been pushed into a bigger role, and Chicago is leaning hard on youth at a position that suddenly matters more because of Kmet’s injury. That is why another veteran feels like the sensible move.
Poles does not need to chase the loudest name. The Bears already made their splash with Simmons.
What they need now is fit. Goedert brings the best receiving resume.
Schoonmaker offers low-cost depth. But Alie-Cox may be the cleanest match for what Chicago lost when Kmet went down.
At 6-2, the Bears have room to make a real run. The question is whether they want to patch the hole before the deadline.
In Other News...
Caleb Williams Drew New Scrutiny After One Odd Detail Vs Seahawks
Caleb Williams latest outing drew more than the usual postgame review after the Bears win over the Seahawks, even with the rookie quarterback turning in a solid performance. Williams completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown, helping Chicago leave Seattle with a victory and another encouraging step in his development.
The extra attention came from an odd fourth-quarter detail that caught the eye of analyst Dave Kluge, who raised the possibility that Williams was giving away something with his mouthguard. Fans and analysts quickly started parsing whether it was intentional or just a quirk of how he wore it, but the Bears result never changed, and the episode now sits as one more small wrinkle in the growing scrutiny around the young quarterback. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Williams May Have Put Something Important On Film Vs Seahawks
Caleb Williams latest outing against the Seahawks gave the Bears another look at the rookie quarterbacks poise in a win, as he finished 24 of 34 for 247 yards and a touchdown. But the postgame conversation quickly drifted from the box score to something far more granular, after analysts began pointing to a possible on-field tell that might have been visible during Chicagos fourth-quarter snaps.
The discussion centered on Williams mouthguard and whether it was being used in a way that could signal what the Bears were about to run, a detail that drew attention from multiple observers online. For now, it remains the kind of small but potentially meaningful wrinkle that opposing staffs may study closely, even if it did nothing to alter the outcome for Chicago on Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Rome Odunze Just Gave Bears Fans A Reason To Believe
Rome Odunze kept giving the Bears a needed spark in Week 8 against the Seahawks, turning four catches into 87 yards and leading Chicago in receiving. His day featured multiple chunk gains of at least 18 yards, the kind of downfield production the Bears have been looking for as they try to find more consistency in the passing game.
The bigger picture is even more encouraging for Chicago. Odunzes breakout season has now reached 994 receiving yards, putting him on the doorstep of a milestone that would underscore just how quickly he has become one of the offenses most important pieces. For a team still searching for reliable playmakers, his rise has become one of the clearest reasons to keep watching. [Read more 🡒]