The Chicago Bears were expected to be better this season, but a 7-3 record and leading the NFC North a little over a week out from Thanksgiving was certainly on the lower end of even the most optimistic possibilities.
While it might've been nice to see general manager Ryan Poles make a bold move at the trade deadline, it was never really expected. There's a larger plan in play to be a sustainable contender under head coach Ben Johnson, not just pop up once in awhile then fade away like the Bears have tended to do.
So with a need for reinforcements at edge rusher, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka was the trade deadline acquisition for the Bears. In two games for the team so far, he has played 19 defensive snaps.
Trying to keep up with the proverbial "Jones'" can be a risky path, but bolder moves could be on the radar for the Bears come the offseason. Some targeted aggression to improve things at some specific positions will be required.
Trade proposal would have Bears pay off notable trade deadline inquiry
After making it clear he wanted out early last offseason, defensive end Myles Garrett decided to lay in the cash-layered bed he made when the Cleveland Browns pacified him with a four-year, $160 million contract. So his frustration with losing, with the Browns now 2-8 this season, falls on deaf ears.
Cap and dead money implications attached trading him with that big contract aside, along with a no-trade clause he managed to negotiate, the Browns rebuffed interest in Garrett at the trade deadline. , According to ESPN's Adam Schefter during a recent appearance on WGN-TV, the Bears were one of the teams with interest.
"When they were calling the Cleveland Browns, they did ask about Myles Garrett but Myles Garrett wasn’t available,” Schefter said. “They tried to be a little bit more aggressive, but it takes two teams to get a deal done, and in certain cases, other teams weren’t willing to part with a player like Myles Garrett.”
On the idea of rescuing Garrett from the Browns this offseason, despite the barriers that are in place, Alex Kay of Bleacher Report has eyed four teams who could do so with a proposed trade package for each.
The Bears are of course among the four teams on Kay's list, with this trade proposal.
"Bears receive: Edge Myles Garrett
Browns receive: 2026 1st-Round Pick, 2026 2nd-Round Pick, 2027 1st-Round Pick, 2027 4th-Round Pick"
In theory, the Bears' next two first-round picks will be late first-rounders, and that 2026 second-rounder is on track to be a little later in that round. An early Day 3 pick in 2027 is relatively inconsequential to a trade of this magnitude.
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It remains unlikely the Bears will make an "all-in" trade for anyone at this point in their plan to be a consistent contender. But if they did hone in on a specific player, Garrett could make some sense as an offseason trade target.