The Chicago Bears appear to be in the market for a trade, but the one they wanted is no longer going to happen.
When Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea requested a trade, early reports suggested the Bears would be interested in striking a deal. That won't happen now, as the Buccaneers gave Vea a one-year, $30 million contract extension. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Bears were very much in the conversation.
"The Bears and Bills were among the teams with interest in trading for Vita Vea, but the Bucs never wanted to move him, per sources. The deal is now done and Vea is under contract in total for 2 years, $54M."
Bears GM Ryan Poles tried (and failed) to land Vita Vea in a trade
No Bears fan can argue against general manager Ryan Poles for trying to get a deal done. Chicago has a massive gap to fill on the defensive line, and many worry they don't have the right pieces there right now. Vea is a two-time Pro Bowler, so it's worth a shot at calling for him.
The problem is that if the Bears are making all these calls about a defensive tackle, or during the offseason for Maxx Crosby, why weren't they done? Yes, there might have been financial reasons for Crosby, but Vea will command $30+ million per year, so why now?
It feels like Poles has waited too late on making a legitimate move for a defensive tackle or edge rusher, so the Bears are kind of stuck with what they have right now. While it's not entirely the end of the world, the lack of a pass rush or run stoppers makes all Bears fans a bit uneasy entering the 2026 season.
Chicago now has a much bigger role for Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter Sr. as its top defensive tackles. Dexter is very good, but Jarrett has made a lackluster first impression on the fan base. Rookie Jordan van den Berg could end up being a very good defensive tackle, as the team has high hopes for him.
As for the edge rushers, the Bears are rolling with Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, and Dayo Odeyingbo. Sweat has proven himself to be great, but Booker and Odeyingbo have a lot of work to do to earn the trust of the Bears fan base.
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While Poles will make his calls, the reality is the Bears are stuck with who they have for the start of the 2026 season. Bears fans better get comfortable with who they have and hope guys like Jarrett and Odeyingbo step up.
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