Early Bears trade deadline prediction foreshadows a current plan going awry

Plans can and do change, but right now the Chicago Bears are all-in on cultivating pass rush production from their current group of edge rushers this side of the one "made man" in the group, Montez Sweat.

The current list of available free agent edge rushers is likely to remain pretty much intact until, and possibly into, training camp. So if the Bears want to pivot, which is obviously a big 'if', they'll have some viable options to bolster the situation before the season starts.

If the Bears feel compelled to add an edge rusher in the coming months, it's more likely to happen once the season starts. If the plan to get more out of Austin Booker, Dayo Odeyingbo, Shemar Turner, etc. isn't bearing fruit, something will have to be done. Sitting on his hands will not be an option for general manager Ryan Poles.

Back in March, Poles acknowledged he had conversations with the Las Vegas Raiders about Maxx Crosby. It's also fair to say, with two first-round picks as the rumored asking price, those talks didn't get very far.

If the Raiders are piling up losses again early this season, trade speculation will automatically resurface around Crosby. The Bears will also naturally be a team that's mentioned in that speculation, assuming they have not done anything to add an edge rusher in the meantime.

Early Bears trade deadline prediction says current plan did not take hold

Until further notice, the Bears will easily be tied to almost any potential edge rusher addition. Signs of someone's discontent with their current team will fuel things on that front, in terms of a potential trade, and Poles should already be paying attention to those possibilities.

A list of early bold 2026 trade deadline predictions from Moe Moton of Bleacher Report of course features the Bears trading for an edge rusher.

"Cardinals Send Edge Josh Sweat to the Bears"

"The Arizona Cardinals will eventually need to resolve their situation with Josh Sweat, and that could result in a trade deadline deal."

Early in the offseason, what felt like speculation Sweat had asked the Arizona Cardinals for a trade was quickly refuted. Then he did not show up for the voluntary portion of OTAs, and his absence was traced back to not being happy for "awhile" and apparently letting it be known he isn't happy.

However, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport did his part as a PR vessel to instantly squash the trade talk.

With fines in play, Sweat showed up to Cardinals' minicamp. But he, as expected, did not take the practice field.

Of course, any trade conversation about Sweat has to extend beyond the surface cost. He is just one year into the four-year, $76.4 million contract he signed with the Cardinals in 2025, but the structure of it fosters trade possibilities, and Moton addressed that aspect in comparison to Crosby.

"Chicago can target Sweat, who's much less costly with about $9.8 million in guaranteed money on his deal for this year."

Read more: Edge rusher keeps resurfacing as best fit for Bears (and it's no accident)

It's possible the Bears get everything they're hoping to get from their non-Montez Sweat edge rushers. But with the likeliest timeline for a notable pivot in mind, Josh Sweat is lining up to be an unignorable trade target.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow