Bears Named Top Trade Fit for Myles Garrett Ahead of 2026

The Chicago Bears didn’t fix their pass rush in free agency this year. General manager Ryan Poles was active, but he wasn't nearly as active as in 2025, and he didn't take any big swings to address the defense's biggest defect.

Instead, the Bears added pieces elsewhere. They added Coby Bryant to fill one of two massive voids at safety after the departures of Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker. Chicago traded for Garrett Bradbury after Drew Dalman's shocking retirement.

But when it comes to getting after the quarterback, this team still looks a lot like it did at the end of 2025.

That’s why the idea of a blockbuster move for Myles Garrett keeps coming up, and why Chicago is being viewed as one of the most logical landing spots if he ever becomes available.

The Numbers Still Point to a Problem for Bears' Pass Rush

For all the progress the Bears made last season, the pass rush lagged behind.

Chicago finished tied for 28th in the NFL with 35 sacks in 2025. That’s not a small gap to close. That’s a structural issue for a defense that otherwise showed it could compete at a high level.

MORE: 6 First-Round Prospects Who Make Sense for Bears at No. 25 in 2026 Draft

Montez Sweat led the team with 10 sacks, which is a solid year, but it also highlights the problem. There wasn’t enough consistent pressure coming from the other side.

Gervon Dexter was second on the team with six sacks. Austin Booker's late-season emergence is encouraging, but the Bears can't push all their chips on a third-year breakout for the former fifth-round pick.

That’s where a player like Myles Garrett changes everything.

Myles Garrett Would Transform Bears' 2026 Outlook

There are good edge rushers, and then there are players offenses have to plan entire weeks around.

And then there's Myles Garrett, a legitimate generational freak.

Garrett's resume of dominance is the gold standard for pro edge rushers. His 2025 season and overall career have been historic:

• 23 sacks in 2025 (NFL record)
• 33 tackles for loss
• 84 pressures, 45 hurries
• 125.5 career sacks in nine seasons

That level of production doesn’t just fix a defense's pass rush. It changes a team's Super Bowl expectations.

MORE: Chicago Bears 7-Round NFL Mock Draft Fixes the Trenches

Garrett would also be a force multiplier. Imagine the production Sweat would have with Myles Garrett opposite him? Scary feels like a fair word to describe the upside.

Why Myles Garrett to the Bears Keeps Making Sense

This isn’t the first time Chicago has been tied to a big-name pass rusher.

The Bears were previously connected to Maxx Crosby before the Baltimore Ravens flipped the Crosby trade market on its head. Logically, if Poles was in the mix for Mad Maxx, it's reasonable to assume he'd make a call on Garrett, too.

The Bears know firsthand how Garrett can wreck games. And if the Browns have left even the smallest opening for a potential trade, Chicago will get involved.

Edge rusher isn’t just another need for the Bears. It’s the one position on this team where a player of Garrett's caliber could turn Chicago into a Super Bowl favorite.

The Reality of a Myles Garrett Trade

There’s a reason this remains more discussion than expectation. And it starts with the cost.

A trade for Garrett would require significant draft capital. Multiple first-round picks would be a starting point, and for a Chicago Bears team that values its draft capital, it's hard to imagine Poles believing any player is worth that big of an investment.

Remember: For as historically good as Garrett is, he's also 30 years old. He'll turn 31 in December. He's a win-now player that the Bears would have to sacrifice future success for.

MORE: Bears Earn Lowest QB Panic Meter Score Entering 2026 Season

Then there’s the salary cap.

According to Spotrac, the Bears have the least amount of salary cap space in the NFL. Garrett would bring a four-year, $160 million contract with him to any team that trades for him. Whether Chicago can be creative enough to make the math work is anyone's guess.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

What It Would Mean If The Bears Trade for Myles Garrett

If the Bears found a way to pull this off, it would be the biggest trade the team has made since Khalil Mack was acquired in 2018. In fact, it would surpass the Mack trade as the biggest blockbuster Chicago has made since the move to land Jay Cutler.

With Caleb Williams still on his rookie contract, this is the window where aggressive transactions make the most sense. Teams rarely (if ever) get a chance to acquire a player like Garrett.

There's no better way for Poles and Ben Johnson to tell the Chicago Bears' locker room that they're all-in for 2026 than by landing Garrett.

The Bears' Bottom Line

Trades are never easy. And it's anyone's guess whether the Browns will really entertain moving on from Garrett.

But it’s also not hard to understand speculation continues to connect the Bears to the league's best edge rushers who could be dealt.

The Bears need more from their pass rush. Garrett is one of the few players in the league who can fix that problem overnight.

If he becomes available, Chicago won’t be alone in the conversation. But based on where this roster stands, they probably shouldn’t be quiet either.