Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears saw their pool of options dwindle on Tuesday, as two other NFC teams–the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks–both pounced on the downtrodden Indianapolis Colts’ decision to begin trading away players ahead of an expected rebuild.
Reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle acquired left guard Quenton Nelson, while San Francisco followed with a deal for defensive lineman DeForest Buckner.
The Bears were rumored to have been interested in both players.
Bears Will Face Fallout After Early Trade Deadline Deals
Trade Deadline Impacting Bears Early
The Bears could feel the impact of one of those deals before anyone else. They face the Seahawks in Week 8 on “Monday Night Football.” The Seahawks are coming off a dominant win over the Kansas City Chiefs that showed their defensive prowess, and this helps stabilize their offense.
The Bears will not face the 49ers during the regular season. However, the two teams could meet in the postseason.
Moreover, a move for Buckner would have made more sense for the Bears than Nelson.
The Bears continue to draw speculative links to Los Angeles Chargers EDGE Khalil Mack for a second stint in Chicago. However, teammate Tuli Tuipulotu could also be of interest, even if he is not a clean scheme fit on paper.
Whomever it is–Josh Sweat of the Arizona Cardinals is another popular speculative target–there is a belief that the Bears are at least motivated to acquire help for the stretch run.
“Ryan Poles traded 2nd-round picks at the deadline in back to back years when the Bears were 3-5 and 2-6,” The Athletic’s Robert Mays posted on X in reaction to the news about Chicago’s interest in Nelson. “Now the team might legitimately be good. You know he is *itching* to get one of these done.”
Bears Have Hurdles to Clear as Trade Deadline Nears
Two things loom large over the Bears: finances and draft capital. The Bears’ draft capital is clean, but they face some significant roster decisions headlined by several pricey veterans. They will need to replace whomever they decide to move on from. The draft remains the best way for teams to have sustained success.
Surrendering draft capital can help the Bears this season and hurt them in the long run, making every move significant.
Financially, the Bears are already facing a bit of a crunch.
Per Over The Cap, they have $9.2 million in room as of October 27, but they will be $1.1 million over in 2027 without some adjustments. That is with the specter of Caleb Williams’ eventual contract extension looming over them.
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