Bears Make Surprise Trade Immediately After Preseason Finale

The Chicago Bears officially wrapped up their 2024 preseason slate on Thursday night with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bears will work on cutting down their roster from 90 to 53 players ahead of next week’s cutdown deadline.

However, before they make drastic changes to their roster, the Bears made a small trade on Friday to help with their pass rush.

According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Chicago is acquiring linebacker Darrell Taylor from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick. Taylor was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft but hasn’t made a huge impact in the NFL.

The 27-year-old pass rusher has amassed 21.5 sacks in 49 career games in Seattle, including 5.5 sacks last season. The 6-foot-4 outside linebacker also had 28 combined tackles, eight QB hits, and seven tackles for loss in 522 defensive snaps last year.

Taylor hasn’t been a full-time starter in the league since being drafted in 2020. However, he’s found a way to be effective as a rotational defensive line, which is a perfect fit for what the Bears are looking for.

Chicago has been rumored to be interested in pass-rushing help after they were in the mix for veteran pass rusher Matthew Judon. The former New England Patriots star ultimately went to the Atlanta Falcons, despite the Bears reportedly offering a third-round pick.

With Taylor in the fold, he should be a solid backup behind Montez Sweat as the team might’ve found a gem with rookie Austin Booker, who will play an integral part in the Bears’ defensive line.

With roster cutdown day on the horizon, one wonders what other moves GM Ryan Poles has up his sleeves to finalize the 53-man roster.

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