The Chicago Bears may need a slight push to achieve their goals this season. They currently have a winning record even without Caleb Williams in the lineup, yet they still sit at last place in the NFC North. Williams is hopefully nearing his return, but the team could still use some additional help to catch up within the division and cement themselves as a true contender. With the NFL trade deadline approaching on November 10th, conversations between teams are starting to heat up.
CBS Sports listed the Bears as a team that should be buying as the deadline approaches.
Writer Carter Bahns lists Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack, Arizona Cardinals linebacker Josh Sweat, Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne, and Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler as the top candidates Chicago should target.
Unsurprisingly, the players all land on the defensive side of the ball.
“So long as Ben Johnson is around, the Bears will not have trouble putting points on the board,” Bahns wrote.
“Once Caleb Williams returns to the lineup, Chicago will be back in the mix for prime positioning in the NFC playoff hunt, and it already showed it can stay afloat for however much longer he is on the sideline. In order to maximize the team’s upside upon Williams’ return, general manager Ryan Poles needs to bolster the defense, especially up front. The Bears rank just 20th in quarterback pressure rate and lack depth on both the edge and interior. What about a reunion with Mack? He spent four years of his prime with the Bears and clearly still has something to give with three sacks in five games this season. Perhaps they could acquire Sweat instead. They have just enough cap space to bring him in this year before his salary balloons in the final two years of his contract. The edge rusher spot should be a higher priority than defensive tackle since the Bears were mostly quiet at that position in the offseason and just saw Marcus Davenport abruptly retire after Week 4.”
Bears Defense Has Been Good But Not Great In 2026
The Bears defense overall has been relatively solid this season. They are only currently allowing 19.2 points per game, which is the fifth-best in the NFL. However, as Bahns mentioned, they need to improve their pass rush to make quarterbacks more uncomfortable.
Jordan Love, who has struggled for most of this season, just had perhaps the best performance of his career.
Zach Kruse of Packers Wire recapped, “Love completed 25 of 31 passes for 367 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He completed 80.6 percent of his passes and averaged 11.8 yards per attempt, both the second-best marks of his career in a start, while his 137.5 passer rating set a new career high in a game he started.”
For a Bears team looking for a Super Bowl, that can’t happen.
Luckily, despite the mess Chicago landed themselves in, there was a bright spot on the defense.
The Austin Booker Breakout Is In Progress
Poles was criticised for not addressing the Bears’ defensive line more in the offseason. However, in response, Poles continue to put stock in the development of third-year defensive end Austin Booker.
Booker had arguably his best game of the season on Sunday with five total tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. He is currently tied for the sixth-most sacks across the entire league. If Booker continues to break out, that will certainly help right the ship for Chicago to get their season back on track.
Bears Labeled As Buyer For 116-Sack Specialist As Trade Deadline Approaches