The Chicago Bears were one of several teams interested in Pro Bowl offensive guard Quenton Nelson before the Seattle Seahawks landed him in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts. Seattle sent a third-round pick and a future fifth-round pick to Indianapolis for the eight-time Pro Bowler.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and Green Bay Packers were among the other teams interested in Nelson before the Seahawks promptly made a deal to bring him to Seattle.

For Chicago, that interest raises a bigger question about where the team’s priorities are. Personally, I think head coach Ben Johnson is getting a little too greedy with his offense.

Bears’ interest in Quenton Nelson is a strange fit for an already strong offensive line

At first glance, nobody expected the Bears to be in on Nelson if Fowler didn’t say anything. If Chicago was going to dip into Indianapolis for help, the logical targets were on the other side of the ball. Veteran defensive tackle Grover Stewart is one option, and DeForest Buckner is the big name many believe could be the next to go.

Chicago’s offensive line, meanwhile, is pretty set. Theo Benedet is still at left tackle with Ozzy Trapilo starting to rotate in. Left guard belongs to Joe Thuney, a future Hall of Famer, so it’s hard to see why the Bears would chase another potential future Hall of Famer at the same position. Garrett Bradbury is at center, Jonah Jackson is at right guard, and Darnell Wright is at right tackle.

My only guess is that Chicago considered sliding Thuney out to left tackle and plugging Nelson in at left guard. That would put an elite player at both spots. Maybe there’s also a thought that Thuney retires after the 2026 season, which would be quite a surprise considering he’s still under contract through 2027. In that scenario, Nelson could have been viewed as a replacement option, but Nelson is still already 30-years-old.

It also could have simply been interest in bringing Nelson in as a one-year rental. Insert Nelson in for the second half of the season and the playoffs, and the Bears would have had one of the best offensive line groupings in the NFL with no weak link. Still, it’s a bizarre situation for a team without a glaring need up-front on that side of the ball.

Chicago needs defensive help at the trade deadline, not offensive

This team does not need offensive help right now. The Bears need defensive help, and they need it badly.

Johnson has been greedy over the last two draft classes, using multiple Day 1 and Day 2 selections on offensive support for both the short-term and the long-term. Meanwhile, the defense has clear, obvious needs that keep going unaddressed.

The defensive line needs help both on the interior and off the edge. The current group isn’t consistent enough to be a real threat in the playoffs for a Super Bowl-caliber team. The secondary is an even bigger concern. Cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson aren’t capable of playing at a playoff level right now, and they’ve become major liabilities.

National insiders have indicated the Bears plan to be an aggressive team before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, and everyone assumed that aggression would be aimed at the defense. Outside of chatter surrounding Khalil Mack, Nelson is the only name the Bears have been linked to. Even Mack looks like a long shot. Based on ESPN’s Adam Schefter’s latest reporting, the Los Angeles Chargers don’t seem intent on trading him right now.

That’s why the Nelson interest makes no sense to me. Johnson is the head coach and one of the primary decision makers at Halas Hall. Still, he needs to use that influence to help defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s unit, not continue building his side of the ball.

The Bears are already one of the best offenses in football. There’s no reason to supplement a group that’s already producing when the defense is frankly middle of the pack. Getting that unit into the top 10 should be the priority before the deadline passes.

If Chicago can pull that off, the Bears become a serious Super Bowl threat that every team in the NFC needs to be aware of.