The Chicago Bears should absolutely look to make a trade before the deadline, and one player that makes a ton of sense both scheme- and need-wise is Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
Buckner has voiced his frustration with the Colts, saying, “I’m sick and tired of the same song and dance every year.”
He was recently asked if he’d entertain a trade opportunity to go play for another team, to which he replied, “I mean, we’ll see. I mean, if that happens, then we’ll see. We’ll see how that goes.”
Buckner added that all he cares about at this stage in his career is to win a Super Bowl, and it’s hard to believe he’d be able to accomplish that with the Colts.
However, the Bears have a better chance at giving him his wish.
New Information on Colts Trade Plan Emerges Amid Bears, DeForest Buckner Speculation
The Colts, sitting at 2-4 with an interim general manager, still want to play a few more games to determine whether they’ll have a fire sale, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.
“They got a couple more games before they really have to make the decision like, ‘Do we trade these guys?’ They want to give Shane Steichen the opportunity to see if they can win games,” Rapoport said on the Pat McAfee Show.
“If they lose two, then it’s like, ‘All right, we probably know which way the season is going. Let’s capitalize on some of these really good assets and maybe trade some guys.'”
Here’s a key date to remember — November 10th. That’s the deadline for teams to make trades this season, and the Bears will know closer to that date whether DeForest Buckner will be available via trade or another Colts player Chicago could be interested in.
More on a Potential Bears-Buckner Trade
Here’s another nugget that brings good news for the Bears. If the Colts decide they are willing to listen to offers for DeForest Buckner, Chicago won’t have to pay as much money if they were to trade for him in November compared to late October.
The closer it is to the deadline, the cheaper it’ll cost the Bears to trade for Buckner.
A few days ago, it would’ve cost around $8.67 million to trade for him. Closer to the deadline, and that number starts to get smaller.
Harrison Graham of Chat Sports believes the Bears should make the trade for the Colts star defensive tackle, saying, “He’s having a really good season and would be a notable upgrade at defensive tackle. …He’s got four sacks in six games this year. Playing really, really well. Has always been one of the better pass rushing interior defensive linemen.”
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper also listed the Bears as a good fit for Buckner and has his projected 2026 cap hit at just 6.5 million dollars.
The biggest hurdle standing in Chicago’s way, besides whether the Colts would actually trade him or not, is what the asking price is.
If it’s a first or second-round pick, forget about it. However, if the asking price is a third or a fourth-round pick, that’s where things start to get interesting.
Chicago Bears Receive New DeForest Buckner Trade Report