After the Chicago Bears did not take an edge rusher in the recent draft, head coach Ben Johnson offered a definitive reason.
"We will coach better than a year ago...it's a combination of us being able to coach better and those guys taking the next step. I think we have some pretty good pieces to work with."
The "Those guys" Johnson referred to, albeit with a mention of Montez Sweat, are Austin Booker, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Shemar Turner. The 2025 campaigns for all three were impacted by injuries, and the Bears are casting their lot with them to bolster the pass rush off the edge opposite Sweat this season until further notice.
That said, the Bears were involved in trade talks around Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby until the asking price became prohibitive (probably right away). So bolstering the edge rusher position was clearly on the radar of general manager Ryan Poles. It just didn't come together to add a veteran in March, and when it came down to it, they weren't going to force taking one in the draft.
The Bears have an easy lingering trade target to pursue
In early April, as he responded to a maibag question about the possibility Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher Nick Herbig could be traded, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette offered an interesting note.
"I think the trade would involve someone ahead of him."
Ahead of Herbig in the edge rusher pecking order for the Steelers is T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Trading Watt isn't ever happening unless he pushes for it, so it's obvious to point to Highsmith as the prime trade candidate Dulac referred to.
Noah Strackbein of SI.com then proposed as a second-round pick as the possible return for the Steelers in a trade for Highsmith, while calling him a top-10 edge rusher in the league.
It's a little aggressive to call Highsmith a top-10 edge rusher in the league, but he is not too far below the top tier of edge rushers that are easy to name. He actually had a better pass rush win rate (according to Pro Football Focus) than Watt did last season, and he's a rock-solid run defender.
Closer to the draft, Charles Robinson of Yahoo! fortified the idea Highsmith could be on the move during or after the event.
"Highsmith’s name, along with fellow edge Nick Herbig, is definitely floating around front offices as the draft approaches, although it seems that any trade would be a one-but-not-both scenario, with Highsmith being the likelier candidate to get moved."
"While Herbig’s name has come up in conversations with teams about potential trade targets, it feels like the more acquirable player at this point would be Highsmith."
The nearly 29-year-old Highsmith has two years left on his contract, with a total of $30 million in base salary and a viable out in 2027. So if the cost in a trade is reasonable, like a Day 2 draft pick, the contract is not unpalatable.
The Bears aren't at all inclined to add anyone to their edge rusher mix right now. But if their thinking starts to change in the coming weeks, and as long as Highsmith remains a Steeler/theoretically available, Poles could be making a call to Pittsburgh to see about a trade.
Read more: Post-draft fantasy assessment of Caleb Williams paints an incomplete picture
Frankly, there's a case to be made for exploring that trade involving Highsmith, no matter what.
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