The Chicago Bears may have found three day-one contributors in the 2026 NFL Draft. Dillon Thieneman was a first-round steal at safety, but fellow rookies Malik Muhammad and Jordan van den Berg also look like potential stars in the making.
However, banking all hopes on first-year players is a risky gamble, and even if they're as good as they've looked through training camp and the preseason, they still need more help on defense, especially in the secondary.
Considering that, Alex Kay of Bleacher Report argued that trading a 2027 second and sixth-round pick for Pittsburgh Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. might give the team a much-needed boost to get to the next level.
The Bears need someone like Joey Porter Jr.
"After ranking bottom-five in total defense and allowing a whopping 32 touchdowns through the air last year, Chicago brought in several veterans—including projected starter Coby Bryant—to reinforce the safety position. While that should help shore up one of the weak points in the secondary, the club could still heavily benefit from adding a Pro Bowl-caliber corner," argued Kay.
Porter Jr. and the Steelers are reportedly at an impasse regarding his new contract. Barring a shocking turn of events, it doesn't seem like he'll stay there after this season, so they may have no choice but to cut him loose.
Granted, giving up a second-rounder is a tall ask, but Porter Jr. hasn't even reached his prime, and as a former second-round pick himself, he's shown plenty of promise as a shutdown corner who can also contribute against the run.
Tyrique Stevenson has been a mixed bag for most of his career, and he's currently dealing with an injury. Malik Muhammad has alternated time at nickel and outside, but with Kyler Gordon's injury situation, the Bears might need him to spend most of the time in the slot.
While this team should be all set with Jaylon Johnson, the battle to start opposite him can turn out to be rather underwhelming. And with Al Harris' tutelage, Porter Jr. can become the team's next ball-hawk and turnover machine.
Of course, the Bears would also have to meet Porter Jr. 's steep financial demands. With Denzel Ward and Devon Witherspoon getting big paydays this offseason, he might also be looking at more than $30 million a season.
That said, beggars can't be choosers, and the Bears should figure out a way to lock him up for years to come, especially with Johnson also not being a lock to stay through the length of his four-year contract.
The Bears have the potential to have the best offense in the game, but they won't sneak up on anyone after such an impressive start to the Ben Johnson era. Their shaky defense can be the only obstacle in their road to the Super Bowl, and trading for Joey Porter Jr. might as well be the season-defining move they didn't make earlier in the offseason.
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