Bears Made Trade Attempts to Land Pro Bowl Pass Rusher: Report

Getty Bears general manager Ryan Poles.

The Chicago Bears are not trading for four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon, but they did make attempts at securing his services for the 2024 season.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the Atlanta Falcons are trading a 2025 third-round pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for Judon, who has been in a contract dispute with the Patriots and presumably expects a new deal from the Falcons.

For Bears fans, though, the most relevant piece of information in Schultz’s reporting is Chicago was the other team in the running for Judon before Atlanta sealed the deal.

“Sources: Several teams were interested in Matthew Judon, but it ultimately came down to the #Bears and #Falcons with Atlanta finalizing the deal today,” Schultz posted on X on August 14, adding context to his original reports about the trade and compensation.

Other NFL insiders backed up Schultz’s reporting. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on X that the Bears had been “heavily involved in Matt Judon trade talks” before the Patriots settled on the Falcons deal. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer also confirmed Chicago had called New England “checking in” on Judon’s situation over the past couple of weeks.

A connection between the Bears and the Judon makes sense. The Bears have a star in Montez Sweat on one side of their defensive line, but the other spot remains unsettled with rookie standout Austin Booker and DeMarcus Walker the top candidates to start. If the Bears could have added Judon to the mix, they would have gained a veteran with 66.5 career sacks on his record and significantly upgraded their pass-rushing prowess.

Instead, the Bears must find pass-rushing help elsewhere ahead of the 2024 season.

Matthew Judon Interest Confirms Bears Want DE Help

It is unclear why the Bears missed out on Judon. Perhaps the Falcons’ third-round offer simply outbid them, but it is also plausible that general manager Ryan Poles backed out when the price to acquire Judon got too high — either because Judon wanted too much money on his next deal or the Patriots wanted too much draft capital in return.

Regardless of the reasons, though, the Bears’ interest in Judon does crystalize the fact that they are still seeking another veteran pass rusher for their defense. The Bears have hinted at plans to address the defensive end position further since before camp began, but the Judon news shows they are willing to do something bold instead of settling for one of the available veteran free agents, such as Yannick Ngakoue or Carl Lawson.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus also seemed to slip up about the team’s intentions to add another formidable pass rusher during an August 13 interview with CBS Sports.

“He demands attention, so that helps free up the other rushers. That’s so important to be able to do that, to have a guy like that.” Eberflus said Tuesday in response to a question about Sweat’s value to the defense. He then added: “When you can have two, it’s even better — and that’s what we’re searching to do here coming forward.”

Could Bears Shift Gears & Target Haason Reddick?

Eberflus could have misspoken or simply been wishfully thinking about Judon when he made his comments in the CBS interview. After all, Poles would have surely kept him in the loop about taking to the Patriots and exploring the possibility of a trade for Judon.

If the Bears are serious about finding a heavy-hitting partner for Sweat on the opposite side of their defensive line, though, could they also check in on Haason Reddick?

According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Reddick formally requested a trade from the New York Jets on August 12 amid his contract standout with the team. The team quickly released a statement insisting they would “not trade him,” but contract situations can force teams’ hands — as was the case with Judon and the Patriots before his trading.

If the Jets change their minds, the Bears should at least give them a call. There is a good chance that Reddick will want more money than Judon — who is two years older and coming off a season-ending injury — on his next contract, but the draft compensation going back to the Jets could be less considering the bad situation they have created.

For reference, the Jets traded a conditional third-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Reddick less than four months ago, knowing he wanted a new contract before the start of the 2024 season. Rather than establish the frameworks of an extension before making the trade, though, the Jets acquired Reddick and decided to figure it out later.

Since then, Reddick has not practiced once for the Jets and continues to hold out.

Now, Reddick could be too rich for the Bears’ tastes, too — if the Jets even make him available at all. But it is worth considering how big they might swing moving forward.