The Chicago Bears' offense was a joy to watch in the first year of the Ben Johnson era. The defense, however, was a different story. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen did what he could with the hand he was given, but they often dug themselves into big holes.
The Bears often relied on takeaways to get their opposition off the field. That's an exciting approach, but it's risky and unsustainable. Notably, plenty of that had to do with their inability to pressure the quarterback.
According to ESPN, the Bears' 29 percent pass-rush win rate was the second-worst in the league. They didn't do much to address that issue this offseason, but there's still time to do something about it.
Considering that, Bleacher Report analyst Moe Moton pointed to the Kansas City Chiefs as a potential trade partner for GM Ryan Poles. In his latest article, he had the Bears trading a late 2027 pick to get their hands on DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah.
The Bears have a low-risk/high-reward trade target in Felix Anudike-Uzomah
"Chicago can look to bolster its pass-rushing depth with a former first-round pick," wrote Moton. "Perhaps a restart with a new team that needs a pass-rusher would give him more opportunities to showcase his potential."
While Anudike-Uzomah hasn't necessarily lived up to the hype as a former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and first-round pick, he's just 23 years old. He's missed plenty of time with injuries, so he certainly comes with risks, but at that price, it would be worth rolling the dice on him.
Through 34 career games, the Chiefs' former first-rounder has registered 41 total tackles (24 solo), 14 quarterback hits, and 3.0 sacks. He missed the entire 2025 season with a hamstring injury he suffered in the preseason, and with the Chiefs committing big bucks to George Karlaftis and taking R Mason Thomas in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, they might be willing to part ways with him.
The Bears missed the boat with Maxx Crosby, and they didn't make a run at any of the big-name pass-rushers up for grabs. They had a direct line to Cameron Jordan, who had close ties to Dennis Allen, and they still stayed put.
As things stand now, they can only trust that Austin Booker will take a big leap in 2026 and/or that Dayo Odeyingbo will be healthy and better than he was last season. That's just wishful thinking, and they don't have a reliable option next to Montez Sweat.
Of course, it's not that Anudike-Uzomah has done much to earn the benefit of the doubt. That said, he's still on a rookie deal, is far from his physical prime, is back to fulll strength, and would cost pennies on the dollar, so there's no reason not to pull the trigger here.
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