Will the Chicago Bears add a high-profile pass rusher soon?

The Atlanta Falcons had traded for star New England pass rusher Matthew Judon Wednesday night, sending the Patriots a 2025 third-round pick in return. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, two other teams were “heavily” involved in trade discussions for the red-sleeved menace, one of which was the Chicago Bears.

While the #Bears were heavily involved in Matt Judon trade talks, the #Texans also showed some interest, I’m told. The #Patriots had a healthy market for him, ultimately leading to a #Falcons deal.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 15, 2024

Sitting out this one was the correct move for Ryan Poles.

Many Bears fans were initially disappointed to see that GM Ryan Poles couldn’t close the deal with New England, but after seeing the price that Atlanta paid, it should come as no surprise that the Bears balked. A third-round draft pick for a 32-year-old player who wants a new contract and is coming off a significant injury is steep. Earlier this summer, Bears Talk addressed the trade rumors for Judon and concluded that anything more than a Day 3 pick would have been a bad move for Poles.

Even though Chicago did not land the star pass rusher, it’s good to see that Poles is working the market. The Bears were gifted a generational quarterback prospect in this year’s draft, and it’s paramount that they set him up for success. If Caleb Williams is the truth, then the time to go all-in for a Super Bowl run is now, while he’s still on his rookie deal.

Are there any more trades to be done?

With Judon off the board now, it seems like the trade market for premier pass rushers is dried up. There are a couple of long-shot candidates like Trey Hendrickson or even Micah Parsons, but those deals might be far too expensive for Poles. If I had to guess, I’d say that Poles will wait for camp cuts at the end of the month and go bargain shopping.

I also think he’s waiting to see how fifth-round rookie Austin Booker looks for the rest of this preseason. Widely expected to need at least a year of development to be a viable option in the NFL, Booker came out swinging last week in his NFL preseason debut, registering 2.5 sacks against the Buffalo Bills. If he can be an immediate impact player, then the Bears should have everything they need to live up to even the loftiest expectations.