Chicago’s trade deadline came with one move that changed the conversation and one omission that left a hole hanging in plain sight.
The Bears landed Jeffery Simmons well before the buzzer, and that deal has already shifted the mood around the team. But when the deadline passed without another addition, especially at cornerback, the roster’s soft spot stayed exactly where everyone could see it: the secondary.
That’s the part that makes the deadline feel like a split decision. Simmons gives the Bears a real jolt up front. The lack of a cornerback move leaves Ryan Poles and company banking on Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson and Malik Muhammad on the outside, with Johnson and Stevenson not exactly radiating confidence.
The Simmons deal is the easy one to judge. At first glance, it looked expensive enough that some people probably called it an overpay.
Two games in, that label doesn’t fit anymore. Simmons has changed the defense and, according to the source material, the team’s outlook altogether.
The Bears’ realistic goal now is to go win the Super Bowl, period. That’s the level of impact he’s had.
Grade: A
The cornerback situation is a different story. Chicago did nothing else at the deadline, even as other teams around the league added defensive backs.
The Bears are counting on Johnson to rebound and get back to something close to his old form. The question hanging over the move - or lack of one - is whether Johnson’s pick-six against the Bucs somehow influenced the decision not to chase another veteran corner.
If that played any part, it’s a dangerous way to build a secondary.
Muhammad gives them a path if he’s healthy and continues to show growth. But if the burden falls on Johnson or Stevenson in big moments, that’s a risky bet.
Grade: D
The Simmons trade also reshaped Chicago’s draft inventory. In 2027, the Bears no longer own their first-round pick, and they also sent away their fourth-rounder in the deal with Tennessee.
Their 2027 class now includes a second-round pick, a third-round pick, a fifth-rounder via Atlanta, and a sixth- and seventh-round selection. Chicago’s own 2027 fifth-round pick is gone too, sent to New England in the Garrett Bradbury trade.
For 2028, the Bears still hold picks in rounds 2, 3, 4, 5, 5 via Tennessee, 6 and 7. They’re again without a first-rounder because of the Simmons move, but they did get an extra fifth-round pick back from Tennessee as part of the trade.
There was no 2029 draft-pick update listed.
The depth chart on the defensive line tells the story of what Simmons brings to the front. The Bears now line up with Montez Sweat and Daniel Hardy at end, Grady Jarrett, Neville Gallimore and Jordan van den Berg at one tackle spot, Simmons and James Lynch at the other, and Dayo Odeyingbo, Austin Booker and Shemar Turner at the other end spot.
One important note there: Odeyingbo still isn’t back from injury, though he should return before the end of the season. Once he does, the Bears can mix and match with him, Simmons and James Lynch across the front because of their versatility.
The schedule after the bye gives the Simmons move even more weight. Ben Johnson still has trouble figuring out how to beat the Packers, Vikings or Lions on a regular basis, and Simmons should matter a lot in those NFC North games.
He can wreck a game against Jordan Love, who is playing at a high level, and the Packers’ offensive line is still a problem despite their attempts to retool. That makes the second Bears-Packers meeting especially interesting.
Simmons also changes the math against Trevor Lawrence, Jared Goff and Josh Allen, all of whom are having excellent seasons. Without him, the Bears would need to score 40 points to win those games. With him, the outlook is very different.
The cornerback issue still lingers, though, and the Lions are the one current top-10 passing attack Chicago faces - twice. That’s where the deadline silence could come back to bite them.
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