Could Ryan Poles make another big splash for the Bears?

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 5 hours ago

Now that you have had some time to recover from what was one of the most exciting yet stressful Bears games in recent memory, it's time for another victory Monday as the Bears prep for their next order of business. That order of business is the 2025 NFL trade deadline, which is set for Tuesday, November 4, at 4 PM ET.

Following their win against the Bengals, which improved their record to 5-3, the Bears have positioned themselves to become buyers at the deadline, as they are just 0.5 games behind first place in the NFC North. Whether they become buyers remains to be seen, but according to reports from around the league, it could be a rather exciting deadline for the Bears and their organization.

There has been plenty of speculation about what the Bears will and, for the most part, should do at the deadline, but there hasn't been any real connection to the Bears and any specific moves. However, reports are surfacing around the league that the Bears not only expect to be active during the deadline when making calls for players, but they could also be one of the more aggressive teams on the market to fill their team's needs.

Chicago was listed alongside the Seahawks, 49ers, Cowboys, and Eagles as the teams expected to be the most aggressive.

From all accounts, you have already seen the Eagles make several moves, including picking up Jaire Alexander and Jalen Phillips to add to their defense. The Bears may not go out and make a ton of moves compared to the Eagles and some of these other teams, but you can expect them to target their needs with the hopes of getting at least one move done.

A few weeks ago, you could've made the case that the Bears were going to go out and target a running back, but with both D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai starting to rack up the yards over the past three weeks, that may no longer be in the cards. What the Bears need to focus on is the defensive side of the ball, where the increase in injuries and lack of a pass rush are starting to test the overall depth of this team.

Defense wasn't initially seen as a concern for this team early in the season. Still, with each additional injury piling up week after week, Chicago is starting to become desperate for healthy bodies. The team is not only down Jaylon Johnson for the season in the secondary, but Kyler Gordon was also recently put on IR, taking Chicago's top two corners out of the lineup for the foreseeable future.

Chicago did address that need last week by going and signing CJ Gardner-Johnson, but it will take more than him to turn this defense around. The pass rush, on the other hand, has been a concern since the start of the season, and despite Montez Sweat showing up against the Bengals and Austin Booker returning to the lineup, that is the one area this team needs to address at the deadline.

It's no secret that the Bears' pass rush has been disappointing at best this season, as they expected a whole lot more from that group. While there are some good pass rushers available at the deadline, Phillips was seen as the top name, and now that he is off to Philadelphia, it does change the narrative somewhat, as the Bears may need to be even more aggressive than they planned to secure the player they want.

While it is unclear what kind of move the Bears plan to make and what they are willing to give up to get a deal done, Ryan Poles is known for his creativity, so look for him to be as creative as possible to finalize some of these deals. Poles knows the value of making a big splash, which you saw when he traded for Sweat a few years ago and then instantly signed him to an extension.

With Ben Johnson's first year as the head coach of Chicago at 5-3, this would be the perfect time for the Poles to make another move, as it could be the defining moment of Johnson's first season and a sign of what is to come. Chicago has always been a team that values its assets for the future, but with most of its roster locked in for the long term, it may need to part with some of its assets to get a deal done, as Poles is ready to make some noise at the deadline.