The Chicago Bears are rolling into the bye week on a four-game winning streak after pulling off, quite frankly, a very ugly 27-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9.
Chicago's offense struggled mightily after the first quarter, with five turnovers and little on the ground. The defense had its ups and downs, but pulled through with some big moments, including a Jaylon Johnson pick-six in the third quarter.
While the Bears' defense is riding the high of its recent strong performances, a major problem emerged during its Week 9 win. This issue makes it clear that Bears general manager Ryan Poles has one objective at the trade deadline on Tuesday: get help in the secondary.
Bears' secondary has a massive injury problem they are dealing with
The Bears' secondary took two massive hits in the starting lineup during the win over the Buccaneers. They lost two key cornerbacks at different points in the game, leaving them with major concerns.
Tyrique Stevenson was knocked out of the game with a hand injury, but he was already questionable going into the game and had been banged up over the last few weeks. Kyler Gordon also got hurt in the third quarter with a hand or arm injury, but he returned.
While the Bears are on a bye this week and will have time to heal, seeing Stevenson and Gordon both get hurt showed the team something. They already have an injury problem, with safety Coby Bryant out for most of the season, so the secondary's depth is getting very shaky.
Setting aside the injuries, this secondary hasn't played particularly well, especially at cornerback. Johnson might have had the key moment in the win over the Buccaneers, but he and Stevenson have struggled mightily in coverage. Johnson and Stevenson each entered the Week 9 contest allowing a passer rating of 129 or higher.
At this rate, that game showed exactly what Poles' strategy has to be at the upcoming trade deadline. Chicago needs to add at least one more cornerback to the room.
Ryan Poles must stray away from edge rusher and trade for a cornerback ASAP
Poles is tempted to add an edge rusher since the Bears need help with the pass rush. Jeffery Simmons is already making a massive impact there. Chicago has to give Austin Booker and Montez Sweat credit, as the two are playing well enough at defensive end that the Bears don't need another edge rusher...for now.
Cornerback has been a massive problem all season. Johnson and Stevenson allow big plays, so Poles must trade for a corner.
New York Jets cornerback Nahshon Wright just makes the most sense for a reunion. Wright would be a cheap option since the Jets have only played him in three games this season, so a simple late Day 3 draft pick would do the trick.
Chicago could take advantage of some of these really bad teams and the fire sales that may occur before the deadline. Names to watch include Los Angeles Chargers' Donte Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles' Riq Woolen, and Tennessee Titans' Alontae Taylor. All three are strong CB2 candidates who could come in cheap and perform well with a Day 3 pick.
Bears fans should keep in mind that rookie fourth-round pick Malik Muhammad will hopefully be back after the bye week, which should help their cornerback depth. Still, trading for a cornerback feels like the right move for the franchise to add insurance at the position.
Read more: Latest Luther Burden injury updates after Bears WR hurt vs. Buccaneers
Chicago is so close to a Super Bowl title, and the Bears need to add another cornerback to give them the comfort room to make it happen. Watch for Poles to get that settled before the deadline.
Add us as a preferred source on Google