Earlier this week, the Bears attempted to trade for Patriots edge rusher Matthew Judon in hopes of upgrading their pass rush, league sources confirmed to NBC Sports Chicago's Josh Schrock.
Ultimately, the Patriots traded him to the Falcons, leaving the Bears empty-handed. During Saturday's Bears-Bengals preseason game, general manager Ryan Poles reiterated the front office's motivation to improve the roster in any way they can.
"We're always looking across the league to find opportunities to make our team better," Poles said on the FOX 32 broadcast. "Obviously, they got to make sense all the way around. When those doors open, we're gonna go through them and have those conversations. But I'll tell you this, I've been really excited about [Austin] Booker's play. Dominique Robinson has started to develop.
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"We got some good competition, and I think either way, we're going to be all right. But again, as a front office, we're going to just continue to look for those opportunities."
It makes sense for the Bears to try to find an elite pass rusher to pair opposite Montez Sweat. Last season, Sweat trademarked "The 'Tez Effect," leading the team with six sacks, despite playing in just nine games. But another elite pass rusher would make life easier for Sweat and a more formidable pass rush.
The Bears haven't had a strong pass-rushing attack under the Poles/Matt Eberflus era. They finished 31st in the league last season with a paltry 30 sacks; the Bears finished last in the league with 20 team sacks in 2022 --- all evidence of their dire need for stronger trenches.
Poles and the Bears offered the Patriots their third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft for Judon. But the Patriots took a third-round pick from the Falcons, evidence of New England's confidence in the Bears owning a better regular season record than the Falcons.
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Judon, 32, was experiencing contract disputes in New England that led to his trade out. But his age might be a stretch old for where the Bears are in their competitive window. Not to mention, Judon played just four games last season on account of tearing his bicep early in the season.
The Bears would've also been faced with a bevy of cap decisions to make if they brought in Judon. Reports say he might play on the rest of his existing deal this season which is slated to earn him $6.5 million. But he'll soon need an extension and he'll likely seek a new contract in the $15 to $18 million annual range.
The Bears have spending power with Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze on favorable rookie deals. But the Bears have invested heavily into contracts for DJ Moore, Jaylon Johnson, Tremaine Edmunds and Cole Kmet. Not to mention, Keenan Allen is playing on the last year of his deal, and the Bears might be inclined to extend him for a hefty price tag.
If Allen's number is in the $22 million range, the Bears would have only $16 million left in salary cap space for 2025 before their draft picks are signed. If they were to pay Judon something in the $15 million ballpark, they would have just over $2 million left in cap space.
It's a moot point --- considering the Bears failed to acquire Judon. But something to consider as the Bears continue their search for a concrete edge rusher opposite Sweat.
"You got to stay on your toes," Poles said of being a GM. "You got to be able to to adapt and adjust. You can't be rigid to one plan, and that's been key for us to make the big steps."