With free agency one week away, the Chicago Bears will not only be focused on what could make them a better team next season, but also what their rivals in the NFC North are doing to catch them at the top of the division. One of the more intriguing teams is the Minnesota Vikings, but it is scrambling to get under the salary cap before the start of the league year.
With Minnesota currently sitting at $46.4 million over the cap, according to Over The Cap, they’ve had to make some critical decisions in advance of the league year on March 11. But few could be as impactful to the Bears as trading Jonathan Greenard, who is reportedly being shopped in trade talks, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Vikings’ Jonathan Greenard Trade Rumors Are Music to the Bears Ears
Since entering the league with the Houston Texans in 2020, Greenard has thrived when going up against the Bears. His 3.5 sacks against Chicago are the second-most against any opponent, trailing the Indianapolis Colts (4.0), and his six tackles for loss also tie the Colts for the most during his six-year career.
Those numbers have hit an extra gear since Greenard signed with the Vikings ahead of the 2024 season. In three meetings against the Bears as a division rival, Greenard has racked up 17 pressures and a sack on 100 pass-rushing snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. It’s worth noting that the Bears have also gone 1-3 against the Vikings since Greenard arrived, with their lone win coming when he was out of the lineup with a shoulder injury in a Week 11 victory last season.
Trading Greenard has some benefits for Minnesota, as they would save $12.25 million in cap space. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Vikings would also like to get a Day 2 pick as compensation in a trade, which would give Minnesota at least five selections in the top 100 of April’s draft.
But such a move would also benefit Chicago. Not only would the Bears not have to deal with Greenard twice a year, but it would remove a key cog out of Brian Flores’s defense, which is the strength of Minnesota’s team, with massive questions at the quarterback position.
Although 2024 first-round pick Dallas Turner has his own success against the Bears with five pressures and a sack in the Week 11 meeting, it’s a big leap of faith to suggest he could replace Greenard’s production with 131 pressures and 15 sacks in two seasons with the Vikings.
That could help the Bears manage the Vikings’ pass rush and lighten the load on Chicago’s left tackle situation with Ozzy Trapilo recovering from a torn patellar tendon and Theo Benedet currently slated to begin next season as the starter.
If a trade goes down, the Bears would become massive winners, and their quest for a second straight division title would become that much easier as they look to continue their success in 2026.