The trade deadline was quiet for the Bears on Tuesday since they already made their big move by trading two first-round picks for star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons two weeks ago. That’ll probably be the answer this time next year, too, given how much draft capital they spent on that deal.
That’s as all in as a team can realistically go.
They made no moves at the deadline and had every reason to believe they can keep winning with the roster they already have. Coach Ben Johnson said Monday he was “really confident” with his team as it was, and it’s hard to argue with him when the Bears stand atop the NFC North at 7-2.
The Bears, who are on their bye week, also moved into the No. 2 seed in the NFC, a hair behind the 49ers at 7-1.
They pulled into first place in the division because the Vikings got blown out at home by the Bills on Monday night and slipped into a tie for second with the Lions at 6-2. The Packers are right behind them at 6-3 in the NFL’s toughest and tightest division.
That loss could be the start of a slide for the Vikings, and they tried to stop it Tuesday by trading a third-round pick to the Raiders to bring back longtime quarterback Kirk Cousins. He was their starter from 2018 through ’23 before they tried to start over with first-round pick J.J. McCarthy.
In between, they had Sam Darnold and let him walk in free agency. He won the Super Bowl with the Seahawks last season. Regrets abound in Minnesota.
Cousins, from Barrington, has played decently this season and could take the starting job from Kyler Murray. He certainly will start Sunday at the Packers in a game the Bears will watch closely.
Murray has been out with a hamstring injury, and the Vikings played Carson Wentz in his place against the Bills. Wentz completed 8 of 25 passes and threw two interceptions to finish with an 8.9 passer rating before getting benched in favor of Max Brosmer.
Considering their options, the Vikings were smart to pounce on Cousins. The Bears don’t play the Vikings again until the final game of the regular season, so there’s no telling who will be starting at quarterback for them at that point, but Cousins gives them a chance to stay in the race.
The Packers and Lions stood pat, too. The Packers might’ve been a good fit for Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, but they’re in a similar position as the Bears after trading two first-rounders for Micah Parsons last year.
The Lions’ only move Tuesday was trading a 2028 sixth-round pick to the Jets for safety Andre Cisco. They swept the Bears last season and seem content to go after them as constructed.
The Bears certainly have needs even after trading for Simmons and could’ve added help at cornerback, defensive end and maybe even on the offensive line, but they would’ve been shopping the bargain aisle. They have five picks in the 2027 draft: a second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh. That’s not much ammunition.
The top realistic targets were Chargers pass rusher Khalil Mack, Jets cornerback Nahshon Wright and Eagles cornerback Riq Woolen. It would’ve been a splashy move for Bears general manager Ryan Poles to bring back Mack, whom he traded to the Chargers in 2022 after Mack made three Pro Bowls for the Bears.
At 35, Mack might have been available for a fifth-rounder, but he said he didn’t wish to be traded, and the winless Chargers opted against a fire sale.
Wright, who made the Pro Bowl for the Bears last season, might still be an option. He left in free agency for a one-year, $3.5 million contract, but hasn’t played a snap defensively for the Jets this season. He has played three games, appearing only on special teams.
The Bears had a relatively dim outlook on Wright after a season in which he had five interceptions and two forced fumbles but wasn’t consistently reliable in coverage. It seemed unlikely he would beat out Tyrique Stevenson or anyone they drafted — they took Malik Muhammad in the fourth round — for a starting job, and that’s still true, but he could be a helpful depth piece if the Jets release him.
Other than trading for Simmons, the Bears have been counting on help from within. Their roster improved when nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon returned, they should have No. 2 running back Kyle Monangai back when they resume Nov. 22 against the Saints and they’re hopeful safety Coby Bryant could come off injured reserve next month.
They’re bullish on the players already in their building, and they've earned the right to be.
