Bears Grant EDGE Rusher Trevis Gipson Permission to Seek Trade: Report

Bears Trevis Gipson

The Chicago Bears have permitted EDGE rusher Trevis Gipson to seek a trade, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on August 26.

“Defensive end Trevis Gipson has received permission from the #Bears to seek a trade,” Fowler tweeted on August 26 during the Bears’ Week 3 preseason finale matchup against the Buffalo Bills. “Gipson had seven sacks in 2021 and could be looking to get back to a 3-4 scheme.”
Gipson, 26, was the No. 155 overall pick of the draft in 2020. He is in the final year of his contract and had been pushed down the depth chart this summer.

Bears’ Trevis Gipson Granted Permission to Seek Trade

Trevis Gipson Flashed in 2021

He had a promising campaign in 2021, recording 7.0 sacks and forcing five fumbles as the third man off the edge behind Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. But Gipson was only able to record 3.0 sacks last season.

This summer, the Bears went about upgrading the position after recording a league-low 20 sacks last season. They signed a trio of free agents: Rasheem Green and DeMarcus Walker signed during free agency in March. Not yet satisfied, they signed veteran Yannick Ngakoue during training camp.

Gipson has played well this preseason, recording their second-highest grade through two games, per Pro Football Focus.

He did play in their preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills, though. He even got to Bills backup Kyle Allen for a sack.

Ngakoue talked up Gipson and fellow youngster Dominique Robinson after practice on August 14, noting that they were both taking well to the teachings of defensive line coach, Travis Smith.

“They’re coming off the ball really quick,” Ngakwoue said on August 14. “I’ve seen a lot of great things coming from those two guys.”

Gipson also had the faith of Bears general manager Ryan Poles after trading Quinn.

“On the business side it just made too much sense for what we’re trying to do,” Poles said of trading Quinn in 2022. “It’s going to allow us to continue to build a highly competitive roster. I think the other thing too…I just really trust Gipson, [Al-Quadin] Muhammad, [Dominique] Robinson, Kingsley Jonathan, those guys are going to continue doing a good job.”

Muhammad lasted just one season, Jonathan rarely saw the field as a raw project, and now Gipson could be gone.

Trevis Gipson Has Had the Right Mindset

Gipson said he felt good during training camp after being critical of himself after last season. Asked to grade himself after their Week 18 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in which several starters sat, Gipson was brutally honest, giving himself a ‘C’.

He showed appreciation for the trials and tribulations of last season, saying that it gave him the blueprint.

“I feel really good,” Gipson said on July 29. “Honestly, I’m more confident…I’m appreciative for the parts of my game that got exposed, as hard as that is to say. But I’m an honest man, and that’s how it is. When you get a weakness exposed, you have no other choice but to strengthen it. And that gives me confidence going into this year, knowing, especially, that I put in the work.”

However, with the emergence of former Los Angeles Rams pass rusher Terrell Lewis this season – fifth-highest defensive grade, 3.0 sacks, two forced fumbles – Gipson may have seen his opportunities diminish even further.

Potential Landing Spots

Teams can never have too many pass rushers, though it is unclear how much value Gipson has when his best work came as a tertiary option.

Bears HC Gets Candid About Roster Cutdowns Ahead of Preseason Finale

Still, teams like the Los Angeles Rams and Miami Dolphins have not shown much of a pass rush during the preseason after being mediocre-to-bad at getting to the quarterback last season. And the Bears scooping up Ngakoue surely left teams like the Denver Broncos could come calling.