The Chicago Bears just made the biggest move of the NFL season. Trading for Jeffery Simmons might be just enough to get them over the top, as he showed in limited snaps in the win over the Seattle Seahawks.
However, the fans are ambitious. There's every reason to add more firepower to the defense, especially when the offense is already stacked and could lead this team all the way to the final game of the season.
Unfortunately, though, the Bears' goal of bringing Khalil Mack back to the Windy City might not be possible. For whatever reason, the Los Angeles Chargers still refuse to give up on their veteran pass rusher.
The Chargers insist that Khalil Mack doesn't want to be traded
“I want Khalil Mack here. Khalil Mack wants to be here. He’s one of the pillars of our team,” Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said after his team fell to 0-7 (h/t Ari Meirov).
C'mon, Harbaugh, that's got to be just him trying to drive up his asking price, right? There's no way that Mack, potentially in his final season and on an expiring deal, would want to ride into the sunset with a sinking ship.
There's no way he can say with a straight face that Mack is happy on a 0-7 team, especially if the ascending Bears are knocking on his door. Also, why hold onto him when he will most likely leave in free agency anyway, even if he doesn't retire?
According to multiple reports, the Bears are among several teams inquiring about the future Hall of Famer. So, perhaps, this is just him trying to start a bidding war for his services, knowing there's just no logical reason to hold onto him for much longer.
Whatever the case, not getting him wouldn't be the end of the world for the Bears, either. Of course, he's still a star and an elite pass rusher, but adding him to Dennis Allen's defense would be a luxury, not a necessity at this point.
The Bears should stay active in the trade market to add at least one starting-caliber cornerback. With Simmons anchoring the defensive line of their surprisingly improved defense, that might as wel be just enough.
That said, how cool would it have been to watch Mack return and help the team make a Super Bowl push? He was often the lone bright spot on struggling Bears teams, and it always felt like he deserved better.
Unfortunately for him, his new team doesn't want to do right by him and give him an opportunity to go out with a bang.
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