The Chicago Bears made a trade Monday night, but it wasn't the Justin Fields blockbuster that Bears fans thought would be coming.
Instead, GM Ryan Poles traded a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for interior offensive lineman Ryan Bates.
Bills announced they agreed to terms on a trade to send OL Ryan Bates to Chicago in exchange for a 2024 5th-round pick. The trade will become official on March 13, pending a physical.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 5, 2024
If Bates sounds like a familiar name, it's because he is. The Bears tried signing him to a four-year deal in 2021, but the Bills matched their offer sheet.
Ryan Bates started all 15 games he played in 2022 but was relegated to backup duties in 2023. He appeared in all 17 games last season but didn't register any starts.
Still, at 27, Bates profiles as the potential solution the Chicago Bears at center. Gone is Cody Whitehair, and Lucas Patrick isn't expected to re-sign with the team this offseason. That leaves Bates as the most likely first man up to win the starting job in 2024, barring a bigger signing in free agency or a high draft pick invested into the position.