Recent reports have connected the Chicago Bears to multiple different trade targets across the league, but they've always been in the same category, and it's the one that the Bears have a glaring need: an edge rusher.
NFL Insider Jordan Schultz recently reported that the Bears and the 49ers would be heavily active at or before the trade deadline on November tenth, even going as far as predicting up to twenty trades league-wide.
The #49ers and #Bears are two teams prepared to be very active on the trade market and I’m expecting both teams to make some real noise.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 26, 2026
I discussed with @Realrclark25 on #ThePivot: pic.twitter.com/dug3Myt3OS
The 49ers already made their move at this deadline
The Colts traded away Quentin Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday, and the move comes only a few weeks separated from firing their general manager. Additionally, they traded DeForest Buckner only hours later, reuniting him with the 49ers, the very team that drafted him.
Losing that race doesn't change the needs that Chicago has, but it could potentially have clarified the next step in Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat. Sweat's name has been floated in connection with the Bears dating back to the offseason before training camp even began.
Sweat has been in the NFL since the Eagles drafted him in the fourth round back in 2018. He's a Super Bowl champion who posted 2.5 sacks in Super Bowl LIX. He followed Jonathan Gannon from Philadelphia to Arizona on a four year deal that's set to keep him with the Cardinals through the 2028 season.
That's where there's such a stark difference between acquiring the likes of Buckner when Sweat is on the board. Buckner is on the last leg of his contract and is 32 years old. Sweat would be kept under wraps for at least two more seasons beyond this one, and his numbers could absolutely exceed Buckner's.
Sweat has produced 57 career sacks to date, with his career high of 12 sacks coming in 2025.
That's precisely the type of production that the Bears are missing in the middle. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has done a good job rotating corner pieces like Kyler Gordon in to manufacture pressure, but the advent of Sweat could shift that responsibility back to where it's supposed to be.
The problem is that Sweat would cost significantly more than Buckner would, but his return on investment could be much higher and more beneficial for the team in the long run.
There are risks, of course. Sweat is 29 years old, and the Cardinals have publicly shown hesitancy to move him. But if the asking price is one that the Bears are willing to pay, Poles should be on the phone. If he doesn't, another team will be.
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