3 trades to make Bears championship contenders in 2023

Trade Number 2: Khalil Mack returns to Chicago

Just a year ago, the Bears did what many fans saw coming and traded edge rusher Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers for a second and sixth-round pick. Now, they could try and get him back seeing as this roster is in a much better place to compete in 2023. In fact, the only gaping hole on this roster happens to be at edge rusher.

And, Chicago loved Khalil Mack.

Sure, he's not the most dominant edge rusher in the game like he once was, but he is still highly disruptive. He finished last season with 8.0 sacks and doubled his pressures from 2021 by tallying 18 last year.

Mack's contract only runs through next year, and the Bears could save $23 million by cutting him in 2024 if they absolutely had to. But, the Bears are still perfectly fine when it comes to cap space and could make this deal work.

Bringing Mack to Chicago, once more, would not only fill a major need but also excite the fan base even more than they already are about this team being built around Fields. The Bears would sell tickets, and their defense could make one of the biggest leaps in all of football from a year ago to now.

After adding linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, and drafting some beef up front on the interior, a player like Mack could be that missing piece. It would be funny, and maybe a little ironic, but this would launch the Bears right back into relevance.