1 last-minute trade Bears must make before Week 1 of 2026 NFL season

August 19, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

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When it comes to playing exciting football, the Chicago Bears made tremendous strides last season. Head coach Ben Johnson was unwilling to let this team simply try hard and fall short against the overwhelming talent in the NFC North as so many previous Chicago coaches had done since the team parted company with Lovie Smith at the conclusion of the 2012 season.

Johnson had made his bones with the Detroit Lions as that team’s offensive coordinator. Not only had he gotten the most out of quarterback Jared Goff and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, he excelled at game planning based on their opponents’ weaknesses.

This continued with the Bears last season, and when the team needed key touchdowns in the fourth quarter last year, his play calling was dynamic and helped the team come through with multiple victories.

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The game that may have triggered the Bears’ run to the division title was a remarkable 47-42 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9. In order to win that game, the Bears scored 30 second-half points including 16 in the fourth quarter. The game made heroes out of quarterback Caleb Williams and Colston Loveland. Those two combined for two memorable touchdowns, including the game-winning 58-yarder with 17 seconds left.

The reason the Bears were in that desperate position because their defense had been vulnerable all season. Backup Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco nearly led Cincinnati to the victory as he passes for a mind-numbing 470 yards. Johnson was left wiping his brow after the victory as his offense simply bailed out a defense that often looked clueless.

Defensive issues have continued in offseason and training camp

Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense led the league with 33 takeaways — including a league-best 23 interceptions. However, when it came to stopping opponents, the Bears were unable to compete most of the time. The Bears ranked 29th in yards allowed as they gave up 361.8 yards per game.

During the offseason, the Bears lost Kevin Byard, Nahshon Wright and Tremaine Edmunds. Those three led the Bears to their position atop the takeaway table and Byard led the league in interceptions.

General manager Ryan Poles attempted to make up for that loss by signing safety Coby Bryant away from the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, and that move looked like one that could give the Chicago defense a boost. However, disaster struck when he suffered a knee injury in early August. He will miss 4 to 6 months after undergoing surgery.

In addition to that devastating injury in the secondary, the Bears are contending with CB Kyler Gordon’s calf injury and nagging injuries suffered by Tyrique Stevenson.

Bears need to trade for defensive help

The Bears were vulnerable on defense a year ago and they appear to be far more vulnerable in that area this year. If Johnson is going to build off the success the team had last year, he is going to need Poles to bring him some additional defensive talent — specifically in the secondary.

The move the Bears should make is a trade with the New England Patriots for cornerback Kindle Vildor. If that name sounds familiar to Bears fans, it’s because the first three years of his six-year career with the Bears.

The 5-11, 189-pound Vildor had his best season for the Bears in 2021 when he started 12 games, had 46 tackles, 4 passes defensed and 1.0 sack. He has spent time with the Lions, Bucs and Titans since leaving Chicago before he signed a free-agent deal with the Patriots.

He is expected to be a solid addition for the Patriots as a backup cornerback. However, the Patriots might be much better off moving him to a team that is desperate for a cornerback with experience in that team’s system.

Vildor is a tough and physical player who should be able to adjust quickly to the Bears scheme. They are clearly a team that needs competent defensive backs who can slow down the game-changing receivers in the division like Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson, Green Bay’s Christian Watson and St. Brown, and Vildor could give them a much better chance of being successful in this area.

Additional Bears moves could be made

The Bears did not know they would lose their top free-agent acquisition early in training camp. They expected Bryant to bring the confidence that comes from playing a key role with the Super Bowl champions. He had 66 tackles, 4 interceptions, 7 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble and 4 tackles for loss last season.

Even if Bryant had stayed healthy, the losses of Byard, Wright and Edmunds would have been dramatic. The Bears appear to be vulnerable overall on defense and could have major problems in the secondary.

It is difficult to make key trades at this point in the summer, but the Bears have the strength on offense to swing at least one successful deal to improve the defense.

It is up to Poles to complete such a move. Chicago’s season may depend on it.

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