Bears already being predicted to swing massive midseason trade

The Chicago Bears are viewed as Super Bowl contenders heading into the 2026 NFL campaign, which is something Bears fans are not accustomed to seeing. At least not in recent years.

Chicago went 11-6 and won the NFC North last season, defeating the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs before ultimately falling to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round. The NFC won’t be any less loaded this coming fall, so it will be an uphill battle for the Bears.

One thing is for sure, though: Chicago still has some holes on its roster that could cause problems, and one of the most glaring is at pass rusher.

Just about everyone assumed the Bears would go out and get another edge rusher this offseason, but they did not sign one in free agency, nor did they select one in the NFL Draft. They were floated as a potential trade destination for Maxx Crosby, but that didn’t pan out, either.

So, is Chicago dead set on playing out 2026 with its current group of pass rushers? Or will the Bears add someone else?

Chicago Bears predicted to trade for Josh Sweat

Chicago may feel comfortable with its current situation right now, but that could change during the middle of the season, especially if the team is on track for 35 sacks again.

Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton doesn’t seem entirely convinced that the Bears’ edge rusher rotation of Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo and Austin Booker will be enough, so he is already predicting that Chicago will swing a deal to acquire Arizona Cardinals star Josh Sweat before the trade deadline.

“The Chicago Bears would be a likely suitor for Sweat. General manager Ryan Pace confirmed (h/t ESPN’s Courtney Cronin) that he showed interest in edge-rusher Maxx Crosby before the Las Vegas Raiders traded him to the Baltimore Ravens, who backed out of the deal,” Moton wrote.

Sweat would be considerably cheaper than Crosby, both in terms of the pieces the Bears would have to give up and the money they would have to pay him. In fact, Sweat is only making $9.8 million in guarantees this coming season compared to $30 million for Crosby.

It’s not like Sweat is a slouch, either. He racked up 30 tackles and 12 sacks during his debut campaign with the Cardinals in 2025, marking the second double-digit sack showing of his career. He spent the first seven years of his NFL tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles, making a Pro Bowl in 2021 and helping them win a Super Bowl in 2024-25.

We’ll see if Chicago attempts to make a push for Sweat by November.

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