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The Chicago Bears have decided to waive defensive end Trevis Gipson after trying — and failing — to work out a trade with another team for him, but the 2020 fifth-round pick denies ever requesting for the Bears to deal him away.
Gipson’s departure from the Bears has been expected since a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler emerged during their August 26 preseason finale that the team had granted him permission to seek a trade ahead of the 53-man roster cut deadline. The implication was that Gipson had requested a trade, but he posted on X (formerly Twitter) to clear up any confusion while bidding farewell to Chicago’s fans.
“Bears Nation, I have been released and now looking forward to my next step!” Gipson posted after the 4 p.m. ET cut deadline on August 29. “I appreciate all the love and support/memories!! Thank you to the fullest! Much love to the city of Chicago and you’ll forever have a spot in my heart!!”
Gipson then added in a follow-up post: “Lastly, I never requested a trade.”
Gipson might not have requested a trade, but the Bears certainly tried to move him. According to Fowler, the Bears had worked on a potential trade involving Gipson before the deadline and had teams interested in the 26-year-old pass rusher, but they were forced to waive him instead when “a deal did not come together” for them.
The Bears ended up keeping five defensive ends for their 53-man roster: Yannick Ngakoue, DeMarcus Walker, Rasheem Green, Dominique Robinson and Terrell Lewis.
Trevis Gipson Will Likely Be Claimed Off Waivers
The Bears might be done with Gipson, but there is a good chance he will get claimed off the waivers after a strong preseason as a pass rusher over the past few weeks.
After struggling as a defensive end during his first year in Matt Eberflus’ 4-3 system in 2022, Gipson looked to have a much better grasp on how to be successful in the scheme during the 2023 preseason. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished with two more pressures (14) than any other edge rusher in the NFL over his three performances and regularly wreaked havoc on opposing backfields, finishing with 10 quarterback hurries, three tackles and two sacks — including a strip sack in the finale against Buffalo.
Gipson is also just two years removed from his seven-sack season with the Bears in 2021 when he was still operating as an outside linebacker in the previous regime’s 3-4 system. While it is not guaranteed that the team that claims him will run the same type of scheme, it could be in his best interests to move back to an outside linebacker role in his next stop — not that he gets any choice in the matter unless he clears waivers.
Bears Also Cut Ties With 2020 Pick Kindle Vildor
Another waived Bears veteran who seems unlikely to clear waivers is former starting cornerback and fellow 2020 fifth-rounder Kindle Vildor.
Like Gipson, Vildor sunk down the depth chart during 2023 training camp as the new regime brought in more players who better fit their vision for the defense. It also hurt Vildor’s roster pursuit that the Bears drafted second-rounder Tyrique Stevenson and fifth-rounder Terell Smith to challenge him for his starting spot on the outside.
Still, Vildor has started 21 games for the Bears over his first three seasons and comes with experience that could be useful for teams in need of more cornerback depth. He is also coming off a year in which he recorded his first career interception and finished with five pass deflections and two tackles for loss — both career-highs — over 11 games.
The Bears had too many options in the field to hang onto Vildor and his $2.802 million cap hit for the 2023 season, but there is bound to be at least one other team interested.
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