The Chicago Bears have been tied to Khalil Mack of the Los Angeles Chargers in a potential reunion. However, an edge rusher for the Chargers who could be an even bigger impact add is Tuli Tuipulotu.
The Chargers could trade the 24-year old edge rusher for the right price, and the Bears are a fit for the Pro Bowler, according to Bradley Locker of PFF.
“The 0-4 Chargers are rapidly appearing to be sellers at the deadline, and the 24-year-old Tuipulotu looks like the best available edge defender on the market,” wrote Locker.
He added that the Bears grade out poorly on the defensive line, and that the edge rusher could be a fit.
Chicago Bears could trade for Tuli Tuipulotu
Tuipulotu is brought up less than Mack because, at his age, the Chargers will likely want to extend him. However, he is in the last year of his rookie contract, and the team has not done it yet. Sitting at 0-4 and at a cross roads with their roster there could be changes to the coaching staff and front office this offseason.
So, the team might end up losing Tuipulotu due to all of the shuffling going on. It might make more sense to give a new regime, or the current one, a few more draft picks, rather than a player who just got extended.
Tuipulotu is in his fourth season in the NFL. In the three seasons prior to this, he has 26 sacks. Mack has 29.5 in that same span in the same defense. However, Tuipulotu has 21.5 sacks in the last two years, while Mack is at 11.5 sacks.
Tuipulotu is younger, and in the past two seasons, he has been more productive. The issue is that he will cost more. The Chargers are going to want a big return to move on from him when they could simply extend him.
It will not be the Mack trade when he was on the Raiders, but it will take a significant investment. More than that, the Bears will have to pay him a significant salary.
The flip side is that the Bears have not had a young, ascending edge rusher in a while, and it is hard to find one. So, the price might not be too much of an issue. If the Chargers are willing to part with Tuipulotu, the Bears make a lot of sense.
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