The Chicago Bears are in full go position. The acquisition of defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans prior to Week 8 was a move that has given the team defensive stature that it did not have prior to the move.
Simmons is a defensive game wrecker. While playing for a losing organization like the Titans, he was basically unknown to a number of fans and observers. However, Bears general manager Ryan Poles knew he was the perfect addition to the Bears defense. He appears to be an elite player who can dominate the interior run by his mere presence and he can also crush the pocket and pressure opposing quarterbacks.
His first game with the Bears was a huge success. The Bears went into Seattle and soundly defeated the defending Super Bowl champions by a 34-17 score. Chicago responded to having a new star in their lineup by playing with the confidence that comes when a team knows that it is rising to the occasion.
The Bears have demonstrated their excellence on offense as third-year quarterback Caleb Williams has developed into an elite player. They also have one of the best running attacks in the league, and that means Williams doesn't have to do it all by himself.
The Bears have built a 6-2 record as the season approaches the halfway point. Their first loss came in a rainstorm to the Minnesota Vikings that saw Williams go down with a hamstring injury. While backups Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum played well in Williams' absence the Bears also lost a game to the Green Bay Packers.
However, since Williams' return to action, the team has had a dominant sheen. The Bears look like they will probably race past the Vikings for the NFC North title and go deep into the playoffs.
Bears should not go overboard to make any additional moves
Head coach Ben Johnson and the Bears certainly can sniff what lies ahead for this team. They have both a versatile and explosive offensive team, and the addition of Simmons takes the defense up another level or two. The Bears may be the best team in the NFC North and perhaps the NFC. The best move for the team would be to let the current players on the team get used to playing with each other and not making any more “huge” moves that would appear to be advisable.
That means Poles would have to leave well enough alone. That is usually not what general managers of a team on the rise are programmed to do. He wants to make that one last move that puts the team over the top. In the case of the Bears, he should only make a minor move for a backup player.
However, there is a strong feeling that Chicago could use one more defensive superstar, and the name that has come up on multiple occasions is former Bear Khalil Mack. He is now languishing in Los Angeles with the winless Chargers, a team that is apparently going nowhere and will end up in last place in the AFC West.
The Bears have already given up two first-round choices for Simmons, so they don't need to be giving away any more future draft choices to acquire the 35-year-old Mack, a player who is in his 13th year in the NFL.
Like most players who have been around that long, he is no longer the force he was during his peak years. Mack had double-digit sacks in four consecutive years — three with the Raiders and one with the Bears. He also had a sensational season with the Chargers in 2023 when he had a career-best 17.0 sacks, but he has fallen off dramatically since then.
While Mack has experience and know-how, he doesn't have the explosive quality he once did. The Bears would be better off not making a move for the nine-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro.
Bears could use a backup tight end
The Bears have a need for a No. 2 tight end because Cole Kmet's season came to an end in Week 7 when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the fourth quarter of the team's 30-24 victory over the New England Patriots.
Colston Loveland is the Bears primary tight end, but Johnson regularly uses multiple tight end formations. The Bears selected Sam Roush in the third round of last spring's draft and he is currently the backup tight end. Bringing in a veteran tight end could make the offense more dangerous.
The ideal trade candidate could be Dallas Goedert of the Philadelphia Eagles. This is a trade to be made only if the Eagles are not looking for a king's ransom in exchange. Goedert is a 9-year veteran who has caught 26 passes for 258 yards and 2 TDs to this point in the season.
The Bears are in a position to make a run at the NFC title, and adding a tight end like Goedert would help them get there.