Ty Simpson’s recent first-round momentum could play perfectly into the Bears’ hands regarding interest for the 25th overall pick
The Chicago Bears could be a trade down candidate if a team wanted to pounce on the QB2.
Earlier in the week, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles was the lone general manager in attendance at the Alabama Pro Day to scout out top prospects such as offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, quarterback Ty Simpson, wide receiver Germie Bernard, and others.
Poles being in attendance was notable considering the other Pro Days going on around the country on Wednesday and put a few potential Bama options on the radar for the Bears. However, the most notable player was Simpson, and the Bears should have no interest in a quarterback of that status.
While no other general manager was in attendance to watch Simpson work out, he’s still generating a lot of first-round momentum, especially throughout this week.
“Absolutely,” Simpson said when asked if he believes he’s a first-round talent. “I feel like I’ve done everything I can, but it’s not up to me. I just know that wherever I go, I’m going to give it my all and make sure I’ll put my best foot forward. There’s going to be a lot of questions around my name. I know what I’m capable of, and I know whoever gets me is going to get a good player and a guy who loves football and a guy who loves the team and loves being a part of something bigger than himself.”
Simpson is clearly the QB2 of the class behind Fernando Mendoza, the projected (and basically a lock to be the) first overall pick. Where Simpson lands has been a widely discussed debate but teams in need of a quarterback should consider drafting him in the first-round to get the fifth-year option. Which is something that can play right into the Bears’ hands.
Bears could look to trade back from the 25th overall pick for a team wanting Ty Simpson
Last year, the Houston Texans traded the 25th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to the New York Giants in exchange for the 34th overall pick (second-round), the 99th overall pick (third-round), and a 2026 third-round pick. The Giants used that pick to draft quarterback Jaxon Dart in the first-round.
With Simpson getting first-round interest, QB-needy teams picking early in the second-round could attempt to move into the late first-round to acquire him instead of using a high first-round pick. That creates a potential trade back opportunity for the Bears to land a decent return from a team such as the Arizona Cardinals or New York Jets (who are already showing serious interest in Simpson).
The blueprint is there based on what happened last year. Chicago could easily flip pick No. 25 to the Jets in exchange for say pick No. 33 along with additional picks in 2026 or 2027. Depending on how the draft board looks, moving back and allowing a QB-needy team to pay up seems like a smart strategy.
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