The Chicago Bears had a game they would like to forget on Sunday. They walked away from their Week 5 tilt against the Green Bay Packers with a 31-7 embarrassment. However, not all is lost, as the Bears have a new trade target: Josh Sweat.
On October 14th, the Bears and Packers were named as potential suitors for Sweat. Bleacher Report offers some thoughts on why the Cardinals might explore a Sweat trade prior to the trade deadline.
“During the offseason, there was some trade chatter surrounding Cardinals pass-rusher Josh Sweat,” the outlet wrote on October 14th. “Arizona’s willingness to trade Harrison makes it reasonable to question whether its stance on Sweat could also change. The Cardinals could release him with a post-June 1 designation in the spring and save $18.1 million in cap space. It could make more sense to trade Sweat, who had 12 sacks last season, well ahead of 2027.”
The day after the Arizona Cardinals traded Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Houston Texans, NFL insider Jordan Schultz shed some light on other players who could be in trade discussions.
“Another Cardinals name to watch is Josh Sweat,” Schultz reported on October 13th, 2026. “He requested a trade after Jonathan Gannon was fired. He doesn’t want to be in Arizona. The team is losing, and there are plenty of contenders looking for pass rush help.”
“Now, Arizona keeps saying they don’t want to move him. But really, they’re waiting for an offer strong enough to change that. And that’s what happened with Marvin Harrison. I think the same thing could happen with Sweat before the deadline.”
The 29-year-old linebacker has seven tackles and one sack to start the 2026-27 season.
Chicago Bears Could Use Help On Defense
Given how their last game against the Packers went, the Bears wouldn’t hurt by adding some defensive help. Not to mention that they are going to be without Montez Sweat for the next two games.
“Bears DE Montez Sweat has been suspended the next two games without pay for violating the NFL’s Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy,” Adam Schefter reported.
Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic explained what was going right before it started going wrong.
“For three weeks, the Bears had the best defense in the league by several statistical measures,” Fishbain explained. “They posted those numbers against a backup quarterback in the rain, a withering Philadelphia Eagles offense and the New York Jets. That should have mattered against a Packers offense that hadn’t run the ball well and was 28th in the league in scoring. Holding the Jets to 32 plays and an 0-for-10 clip on third down was always going to be an outlier. But how much of a blip will this game prove to be?”
“The Bears lost three starters to injury, but they couldn’t contain their biggest rival. Did the Packers unlock something for the rest of the league — attack the Bears on early downs with deep shots — to exploit? How susceptible is the Bears’ undermanned secondary as long as an opponent can avoid third-and-long situations?”
While it is still early in the season, being forced to address these concerns could be a blessing in disguise.
What Would Josh Sweat Cost The Chicago Bears?
Before considering acquiring Sweat, the Bears would need to assess whether the price of admission is worth it.
Sweat has an out in his contract after this season. That means his acquisition cost would be equivalent to a rental.
At this point in time, a third- or fourth-round draft pick would be enough to pry Sweat away from the Cardinals’ clutches. Bleacher Report speculates that a conditional 2027 fourth-round draft pick could be enough.
The Bears would like to avoid a similar embarrassment against the Atlanta Falcons as they did against the Packers. For that reason, there is no time like the present to make this kind of deal a reality.
Bears New LB Trade Target Emerges After Montez Sweat Suspension News