It appears it's not a question of if, but a question of when Bears guard Jordan McFadden will leave the team.
ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler posted that the Bears are exploring trade options for McFadden. He played in 124 snaps in the preseason with Chicago.
With a logjam at offensive line, the #Bears are exploring trade options for guard Jordan McFadden, per source. McFadden played 124 snaps the last two preseason games and held up well.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 25, 2025
McFadden is entering his third season in the NFL after the Los Angeles Chargers selected him in the fifth-round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He started two games and has appeared in 13 during his NFL career. The Bears just signed him back in January as they claimed him off waivers.
What kind of compensation can the Bears get for McFadden?
It might take some work from Bears general manager Ryan Poles' side to get a deal done, but McFadden is only 25 and has plenty of good years in him. The only reason they are exploring a trade with him is because they are deep on the offensive line.
Rookies Luke Newman and Ozzy Trapilo have been good additions to the team. Trapilo is being worked in as a swing tackle while Newman proved that he can play multiple positions on the line if needed.
There is also a backlog of veterans competing for roster spots, including Doug Kramer Jr., Ryan Bates, Bill Murray, and Ricky Stromberg. Keep an eye on Theo Benedet, who might have done enough to get on the 53-man roster after being on the practice squad a season ago. Kiran Amegadjie is on the hot seat after he was once considered a candidate for the left tackle job.
The strength of this Bears' offense is the offensive line after it was the biggest weakness to them in 2024. Poles needs to figure out who to keep as it appears he's already moving on from McFadden.
What could the Bears get from McFadden? It's not unfair to think that a late-round draft pick is possible. A straight player-for-player trade is also possible, but the Bears might not be in the market to do that.
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Some big decisions are coming for Poles as it leads up to Tuesday's roster cut down deadline.