The Bears reportedly made a move to bolster their pass rush, just hours before the NFL trade deadline passed on Tuesday. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, general manager Ryan Poles sent a sixth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
This is not the blockbuster deal many Bears fans hoped for, with superstars like Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson rumored to be available for the right price. But a move like that probably wasn't warranted for the Bears this season.
Instead, Tryon-Shoyinka will help provide depth for a beleaguered unit that's down Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner for the rest of the year, and Dominique Robinson for a few more weeks due to a high ankle sprain.
How Tryon-Shoyinka got to this point with his new start in Chicago
Tryon-Shoyinka enjoyed some success over the first four seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he notched 15 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, and 36 quarterback hits. But he's hardly seen the field this year after signing a one-year deal with the Browns.
In eight games, Tryon-Shoyinka has played just 31 snaps on defense for Cleveland, with 58 special teams snaps. He figures to get a lot more playing time in Chicago, though, given the numerous injuries on the defensive line. Odeyingbo left Week 9's game early with his Achilles injury, but before that, he was averaging 47.4 snaps per game. Robinson averaged another 19.2 snaps per game before his injury.
The Bears got Austin Booker back from IR last week, and he played 37 snaps in his 2025 debut. If he continues to play 35-40 snaps a game, it still leaves a 26.6-31.6 snap deficit. Tryon-Shoyinka should help the team to close that gap.
At 6'-foot-5, 260 pounds, Tryon-Shoyinka also fits Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's physical profile for defensive ends. Even though Tryon-Shoyinka has primarily played outside linebacker instead of defensive end over his career, that size should help him make the transition to Allen's defense.
The Buccaneers selected Tryon-Shoyinka with the No. 32 overall pick of the 2021 draft. They declined his fifth-year option back in 2024.
Tryon-Shoyinka can be Bears special teams salve
An area where Tryon-Shoyinka can arguably make an even bigger impact is on special teams. The Bears' third phase has underperformed across the board this year, with struggles in kickoff and punt coverage, as well as middling production in kick and punt returns.
In particular, kick coverage has been a disaster, as the team ranks last in the NFL with a 29.5-yard per return. They bottomed out by allowing a 98-yard opening kickoff touchdown last week.
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Over his four and a half seasons in the NFL, Tryon-Shoyinka has notched at least some playing time on each of those units, with stints as a core member of the kick coverage, kick return, and punt return teams.