Bears’ chances of landing elite pass rusher continue to dwindle but another AFC North team could hold the missing piece for Chicago
The Chicago Bears remain committed to what the team has in the building when it comes to edge rushers for the time being and in the meantime, the external options worth considering are starting to dwindle.
The Chicago Bears remain hardheaded on the idea that better coaching and improved health can help turn around what was a disappointing pass rush on the defensive side of the ball.
It’s a bold strategy, but one that’s far cheaper than pursuing some kind of deal for an elite pass rusher after seeing Myles Garrett get traded for a ridiculous haul earlier this week. Whether or not it pays off remains to be seen, but in the meantime, the external options are starting to dry up.
With Garrett now off the board, attention turned toward Arizona Cardinals’ Josh Sweat as the next pass rusher that could potentially get moved. However, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport shut down those theories despite reports about the team fielding trade offers.
With Sweat potentially off the trade market as well, the pool of available edge rushers is starting to dry up. However, another AFC North just created a situation that could put one of their top pass rushers on the market and the Bears should pay close attention.
Pittsburgh Steelers just made things interesting for the Chicago Bears after paying Nick Herbig
On Tuesday, the Steelers reached an agreement with edge rusher Nick Herbig on a four-year, $100 million contract extension despite already having money tied up at the position to T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Teams rarely pay that much for three players at the same position, which makes Watt or Highsmith potential trade candidates to watch.
Watt is the biggest name of the two and a franchise legend in Pittsburgh. He also has the largest contract of the three and is the oldest, making him the ideal player for the Steelers to try to move on from. Those two factors would also make it harder for other teams to be willing to negotiate, especially if the Steelers want a first-round pick and more. Given the price and the cost of Watt’s deal, that’s a non-starter for the Bears.
But, what about Highsmith? Highsmith currently has two years remaining on his existing contract with a base salary of $30 million between the two years and he is 28-years-old. He’s not the presence Watt is off the edge, but he’s still a very productive pass rusher that recorded 9.5 sacks last season. He would be a more attractive target for the Bears compared to paying for name-value with Watt, saying the Bears actually decide to bring someone in.
Ben Johnson continues backing the defensive line and banking on existing players to make progress
With OTAs underway in Chicago, the Bears are spending extra effort coaching the technique and fundamentals with the returning players, which hasn’t included Montez Sweat who wasn’t in attendance so far at OTAs. One player the Bears are excited about developing further is Austin Booker while keeping tabs on free agent options.
“We didn’t feel like our get-off was very good (in 2025), so we’re looking to improve that across the board,” Johnson told reporters on Wednesday. “We feel like if we can improve our get-off up-front, that’s going to allow us to put more pressure on the quarterback.”
Johnson added it’s hard to judge the pass rushers this time of year, especially with two players in Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner still out recovering from injuries. For fans upset about the Bears dragging their feet while elite edge rushers are coming off the market, don’t expect anything to change anytime soon. But, Watt and Highsmith are two names worth watching out for over the next few months.