Bears must – The Los Angeles Rams’ Monday trade for star pass rusher Myles Garrett changes the stakes for the Chicago Bears. With their pass rush a known weak spot, Chicago’s best path to close the gap is adding Josh Sweat.
On Monday, the Los Angeles Rams rewrote their own ceiling by trading for star pass rusher Myles Garrett. It sent a clear message around the league: they’re not looking toward a future version of themselves. They’re trying to chase a Super Bowl now.
Chicago won’t see the Rams in the regular season, but the Bears are building for a deep playoff run. When teams go all-in like this, they don’t just raise the floor of their season—they raise the odds of meeting again in January and beyond.
That’s where the uncomfortable fit for the Bears comes in. Los Angeles added to a position group—elite pass rushing—that is exactly the area Chicago has struggled with. If you’ve followed offseason Bears talk, their lack of pass rush hasn’t been a secret. The Rams’ move elevates their unit far beyond where the Bears currently sit.
For Chicago to keep its own championship dreams from turning into wishful thinking. it likely needs one kind of transaction: a proven quarterback-getter who can change games by himself. There may not be a move as impactful as adding Myles Garrett. but there is one clear trade candidate the Bears should have their eyes on.
Josh Sweat is the name that fits. During the 2025 season, Sweat totaled 12 sacks and 17 quarterback hits. The numbers matter because they’re not only good—they’re relevant to the Bears’ current picture. If Sweat had been playing for Chicago in 2025. he would have led the team in sacks and ranked second in QB hits. The only player ahead of him in QB hits would be Montez Sweat, who produced 10 sacks of his own in 2025.
Montez Sweat, in other words, is the nucleus on Chicago’s defensive front. But Chicago is still trying to find the right partner opposite him.
The leading candidates mentioned are Dayo Odeyingbo and Austin Booker in 2026. Odeyingbo is coming off an Achilles tear, and Booker has nine career starts over his two years in the NFL. Sweat is the opposite profile: a starter with durability, production, and an actual résumé of getting after the passer.
Over eight NFL seasons, Sweat has appeared in 121 games and started 81 of them. He has at least six sacks every year dating back to 2020. and he has broken the 10-sack mark twice in that span. The goal for a Bears front office isn’t just optimism—it’s forcing defenses to account for more than one edge threat.
Adding Sweat would do that. It would give Chicago a proven option in their pass rush and make their defense a much more serious threat week to week.
There’s a second layer to the decision, and it lands directly on Chicago’s biggest rivalry. Acquiring the current Arizona Cardinals pass rusher would send a message to the team they see most clearly on the other side of the NFC North.
Because with Jonathan Gannon now serving as defensive coordinator. the Green Bay Packers have been tied to a trade for Sweat. A healthy Micah Parsons paired with Sweat would be a matchup nightmare for any offense — and it’s exactly the kind of situation Chicago may want to prevent instead of reacting to.
At the moment, Chicago appears content with its pass rush mix led by Courtney Cronin of ESPN. With another year under the defensive coordinator and a deeper understanding of the defense, the Bears are expecting players like Odeyingbo and Booker to reach their full potential.
But the league doesn’t reward potential on game day. The Bears haven’t yet seen that promise fully become a reality. At this stage, optimism is one thing, proven facts are another. The facts point to Sweat’s career identity: he has been notorious for getting to the quarterback throughout his time in the NFL. Maybe it’s not on the exact level of Garrett. but the impact would still be significant enough to change the way Chicago’s defense can be attacked.
Training camp will eventually sharpen the Bears’ view of where their pass rush stands. Yet with trades already moving, Chicago may have to act fast if it wants Sweat before someone else treats the Rams’ Garrett acquisition as a warning—and makes the move first.
Chicago Bears Los Angeles Rams Myles Garrett Josh Sweat Montez Sweat Dayo Odeyingbo Austin Booker Jonathan Gannon Green Bay Packers Micah Parsons NFL trade