(670 The Score) Bears general manager Ryan Poles has made a pair of significant acquisitions just prior to each of the last two NFL trade deadlines.
So, will the Bears make a splash before the NFL’s trade deadline at 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday? The answer is probably not.
Poles is unlikely to part with key assets for the future in order to make a trade that only offers immediate benefits, league sources have said recently. That means it’s unlikely the Bears would part ways with their first-round pick or either of their second-round selections in the 2025 NFL Draft, unless there was a clear long-term benefit in the player they got in return.
Poles seems to understand that the Bears aren’t just one player away from being a championship-caliber team. Their rebuilding plan has entered a window of playoff contention, though that momentum has stalled recently and the Bears still need another offseason to build a more complete roster.
The Bears’ most pressing needs are on the offensive line, as was evidenced by their ugly 29-9 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday at State Farm Stadium. Chicago played without starting tackles Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright, who are both dealing with knee injuries. Starting left guard Teven Jenkins has dealt with multiple injuries this season, and veteran reserve Ryan Bates (shoulder) isn’t quite ready to return from injured reserve.
Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked six times Sunday and pressured by 16 different Cardinals in the latest glaring indictment of the Bears' offensive line.
The trade market appears to offer few viable trade options for the Bears to address their offensive line issues. The rival Minnesota Vikings recently acquired veteran offensive tackle Cam Robinson, who would’ve been an ideal fit in Chicago. Jaguars guard Brandon Scherff, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, could be available in a deal, but he's 32 years old and playing on an expiring contract.
Trading for a superstar like Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby or Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett just isn’t realistic for the Bears, who are playing the long game under Poles' guidance. The Bears almost certainly won’t be compelled to trade multiple top picks and move considerable assets for the future.
However, the Bears could trade away a pair of players prior to the deadline. Fourth-year running back Khalil Herbert is a candidate to be dealt. He has carried just eight times for 16 yards and a touchdown this season. Herbert has also been a healthy scratch from the game day roster in each of the last two games.
Herbert, who's in the final season of his rookie contract, has been an effective rusher in his four-year Bears tenure, averaging 4.8 yards per carry and filling the starter's role at times. But he has been unable to find a role in the Bears’ rotation at running back as he's behind D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson on the depth chart.
The Vikings last month struck a deal with the Texans to acquire veteran running back Cam Akers, with the two teams swapping conditional late-round picks. That would be the likely framework for a deal involving Herbert.
Veteran guard Nate Davis is another player who may be moved in a trade. In the second season of a three-year, $30-million deal, Davis has fallen out of favor with the Bears. He opened the season as the starting right guard, then was moved to a reserve role and has been a healthy scratch in two games this season.
Davis was active Sunday but didn't get called back into the starting lineup despite the injuries on the offensive line.
Davis has declined interview requests on multiple occasions over the last week. Given the Bears’ frustration with Davis, any trade of him would only bring a minimal return – likely one involving a swap of late-round picks.
Two years ago, the Bears traded a second-round pick to the Steelers to land receiver Chase Claypool in a deal that was intended to bolster their struggling offense but failed to do so. Just before the trade deadline in 2023, they sent a second-round pick to the Commanders to acquire star pass rusher Montez Sweat, a move that paid immediate dividends. While the results were mixed in those two trades, the philosophy in both cases was to improve the roster for the long term.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.