Some long runs they've allowed have skewed things, but the Chicago Bears' league-worst run defense, by yards allowed (164.5) and yards per carry allowed (6.1, tied for worst), has been awful anyway you look at it.
The expected returns to health of linebacker T.J. Edwards and cornerback Kyle Gordon, as well as possibly defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, after the bye week, should help improve the situation. However, Jarrett has not been as impactful as was hoped for in the three games he has played this season.
A potential internal fix for the interior defensive line to improve the run defense would be to reduce the snaps of 32-year-old Jarrett and give more snaps to Andrew Billings and Gervon Dexter. In any case, something has to be done, and a two-game winning streak going into the bye did not mask the Bears' deficiency against the run.
In Year 1 of the Ben Johnson era, it's unlikely the Bears will make any significant trades to acquire someone. That would require surrendering notable draft picks in most cases, and as the roster gets evaluated this season, keeping as much draft capital as possible would seem to be a priority.
However, there is a case for the Bears to make moves with an eye on making the playoffs this year. The schedule coming out of the bye is favorable enough (with notable injuries for some opponents) that they could win three of their next four games before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. The game after the trade deadline, Week 10 against the New York Giants, looks very winnable. A 6-3 mark would make them a playoff contender in mid-November, and even a 5-4 record would leave them in the thick of things.
Bold trade proposal would go a long way toward fixing the Bears' run defense
Matt Verderame and Gilberto Manzano of SI.com have offered one trade each NFL team should make before the 2025 deadline. One for another team would fix the Bears' biggest issue offensively, but the trade Manzano thinks they should make would be a big move to fix their aforementioned issues stopping the run.
"Proposed trade: Second-round pick to Titans for DT Jeffery Simmons"
"The Bears are all in with Caleb Williams and coach Ben Johnson. There’s no turning back, so they might as well make a splash move like this one."
"The arrival of Simmons would immediately improve the Bears’ defense, which needs pass rushers and run stoppers. Simmons excels in both areas and could form a dominant duo with edge rusher Montez Sweat. For years, the Bears’ defense has done the heavy lifting. Now that the offense is showing signs of improvement, the defense has regressed. Simmons can help balance out Chicago’s problems this season."
The 0-4 Titans are a mess, and it's fair to assume they will be a clear-cut trade deadline seller. Simmons is their best player, with three Pro Bowl selections in the last four years. He has two sacks, 14 total tackles, and five tackles for loss so far this season, with the second-best pass rushing grade among defensive tackles from Pro Football Focus through Week 4 (90.1)
Of course, any kind of talk to acquire someone of Simmons' caliber has to mention his contract. He is in the second year of a four-year, $94 million deal, with cap numbers of $25.68 million in 2026 and $28.5 million in 2027. However, approximately $5 million in annual signing bonus proration would remain with the Titans, reducing the cap burden that an acquiring team would take on. In 2026, $6.47 million of his $20.17 million base salary is guaranteed, and there is no guaranteed salary in the fourth and final year of the deal.
Read more: Bears offered fix for critical offensive issue as their bye week gets going
To make a trade for Simmons' work, the Bears would have to do some quick maneuvering to create 2025 cap space, and/or send a player along with a high draft pick to the Titans. But if there were sufficient will, there would be a way. Simmons would be a bold solution to a core tenet of winning that the Bears are failing at so far this season.