Bears Pull Off Blockbuster Trade: Kyler Gordon & Picks Traded for the NFL’s Most Dominant DE
Kyler Gordon is eligible to sign a lucrative contract extension with the Chicago Bears this offseason and has done his part to earn it, establishing himself as one of the league’s top slot cornerbacks during the 2024 NFL season.
Could turnover on the coaching staff — and the surprise availability of a bona fide defensive superstar — push the Bears into making a bold play, though?
The league was buzzing Monday in the wake of defensive end Myles Garrett, the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, requesting a trade away from the Cleveland Browns. The 29-year-old has tallied at least 12 sacks in each of his last five seasons and earned All-Pro recognition for his play in each campaign.
Now, some are speculating the Bears could get in on the action and call the Browns about the possibility of the NFL-shaking blockbuster trade.
Calling back to the Bears’ famed 2018 trade for Khalil Mack, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay pitched a similar exchange centered around Garrett that could appeal to Chicago’s new coaching staff, namely defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
The proposed trade: The Bears would package Gordon along with 2025 draft picks in the first (No. 10 overall), second (No. 41) and fifth (No. 149) rounds to land Garrett and the two years remaining on his $125 million contract.
The Bears would still hold the Carolina Panthers’ second-round pick (No. 39) as well as their own third-rounder (No. 72), giving them resources to add quality talent in the draft. They can also afford Garrett’s $19.7 million cap hit in 2025.
“With new head coach Ben Johnson on the sidelines, second-year quarterback Caleb Williams under center and a bona fide star like Garrett on the edge, Chicago would have a core in place to contend for years to come,” Kay wrote.
Garrett would certainly be an elite acquisition for the Bears, but general manager Ryan Poles might flinch at the thought of giving up so much draft capital for a veteran who will turn 30 before the end of next season.
Giving up Gordon would also create another hole in the Bears defense, one that could irk Allen — who called Gordon “outstanding” after taking the DC job.
“Kyler Gordon is an outstanding nickel player,” Allen said last Thursday. “I have a vision for how we can utilize him.”
Even if the Bears do check in on Garrett’s availability, it doesn’t sound like they have much interest in moving Gordon — regardless of analyst daydreaming.
