The Chicago Bears came back down to earth with a Week 8 loss to the Baltimore Ravens that ended their four-game winning streak. With the trade deadline only a week away, whether the Bears will upgrade their roster remains one of the most important questions on the fanbase's mind.
Quarterback Caleb Williams' struggles have received most of the attention, but that shouldn't distract from Chicago's defensive issues. The pass rush remains underwhelming, especially now that the team has moved on from Tanoh Kpassagnon and lost Dominique Robinson to injury without adding anyone else to the rotation.
While Bears fans desperately wait for Austin Booker's return, Kpassagnon has already signed with a new team. NFL insider Aaron Wilson is reporting that the Indianapolis Colts signed the veteran pass rusher to their practice squad, less than two weeks after the Bears cut him.
Ex-Bear Tanoh Kpassagnon Signs with the Colts
Kpassagnon is a solid depth piece for any team, let alone one that is 7-1 and is looking to make a deep postseason run. He has a ton of postseason experience, having played in two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs. He hasn't been a true difference-maker since his Chiefs days, but he is a more than competent veteran who could easily be the fourth pass rusher in any rotation.
Besides, good teams can never have too many pass rushers, as it may be the hardest position to find capable players, especially during the season.
A ton of teams are looking for upgrades to their pass rush rotation at the trade deadline. Yet, as it's often the case, there are more buyers than sellers, since even rebuilding teams don't want to give up valuable disruptors, knowing how hard it will be to replace them.
Kpassagnon is obviously not a starter-caliber player, and he is only getting a practice squad deal, but getting anyone with any juice left at this point via free agency is difficult. And the 31-year-old has shown that he still has some juice.
In his four games in Chicago, Kpassagnon had a sack, two QB hits, and a tackle for loss, receiving a 51.1 defensive and 52.2 pass rush grades on Pro Football Focus. That's obviously nothing to write home about, but with how little depth the Bears currently have in their rotation, they are better than what, say, Daniel Hardy can give them.
Where Kpassagnon's career takes him now and whether he will make an impact in Indianapolis remains to be seen, but let's hope that the Bears don't regret cutting him.