As expected, the 2025 Chicago Bears were a treat to watch on offense. Caleb Williams was inconsistent but electric, the running game was efficient, and the young core of pass catchers turned heads in the first year of the Ben Johnson era.
That's not necessarily the case on the other side of the field. While the defense made its fair share of big plays and created turnovers, it had plenty of issues getting to the quarterback. As a result, bolstering the front seven should be Ryan Poles' No. 1 priority for the offseason.
Fortunately for him, he should have plenty of options to choose from in the trade market. At least, that's how ESPN insider Dan Graziano feels. In a recent column, he claimed that New York Giants star Kayvon Thibodeaux had a 70 percent chance of being traded, listing the Bears as one of his obvious fits.
The Bears Must Try to Trade for Kayvon Thibodeaux
"The Giants have a surplus of impact defensive linemen with Brian Burns and Abdul Carter, and it seems more likely they'll try to find a trade partner for Thibodeaux than extend the 2022 first-round pick ahead of his fifth-year-option season," Graziano wrote.
Thibodeaux isn't the most consistent player in the league, and he hasn't always lived up to the hype as a former No. 5 pick. That said, he has 23.5 career sacks, including 11.5 two years ago. Beyond the raw numbers, his Pro Football Focus grades show that he is squarely in the middle of all edge rushers, boasting an overall grade of 66, which ranked 62nd out of 115 qualified players.
Perhaps he needs a change of scenery and the added motivation that comes with entering a contract year to take his game to the next level. There is a difference between a high-upside player who put up relatively average numbers on a bad team and one who failed to contribute at all. Right now, Thibodeaux would seemingly fall into the former rather than the latter.
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen can use as much help as he can get right now. The Bears had just 35 sacks last season, tied for the seventh-fewest in the league. They also had the second-lowest pass rush win rate in the NFL at a putrid 29 percent, per ESPN's metrics.
Thibodeaux is just 25 years old. He looked like a can't-miss type talent coming out of college, and taking a backseat to Abdul Carter and Brian Burns clearly took a toll on his production. He's the low-risk/high-reward pickup any team should make, especially a team desperate for some help in the pass-rushing department.
Trading Thibodeaux would take $14.75 million off the Giants' books, and the Bears can probably get him for a Day 2 pick. He can be this team's defensive anchor for years to come; all he needs is someone to believe in him again.