As the Chicago Bears look for help along their defensive line, the crown jewel of additions would be star Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett. The only problem, outside of what it would take to acquire Garrett, has been the Browns’ unwillingness to trade him.
Still, Garrett made a very public trade request. Unless Cleveland somehow makes a massive turnaround, they would not be the playoff caliber team Garrett wants to play him. If he holds firm in his demands, the Browns may have no other choice.
And that’s where the Bears come in. Not only do they have an obvious need, but Chicago has the cap space and draft capital necessary to facilitate a deal. Should the Browns come around on a Garrett deal, Courtney Cronin of ESPN sees the Bears being in the mix.
“But should that change, Chicago may be one of a few teams that could actually pull off a trade for the defensive end who totaled 83 pressures, 14.5 sacks, 28 quarterback hits, and a pressure rate of 18.4% in 2024,” Cronin wrote. “The Bears own a top 10 pick and have two second-round selections, including Carolina’s pick at No. 39.”
“Garrett’s $25 million salary is slightly above what the Bears paid Sweat based on average annual value, and he’s under contract through the 2026 season,” Cronin continued.
What Myles Garrett offers Chicago Bears
While the Browns struggled in 2024, Garrett continued his dominant performance in the NFL. Starting all 17 games, the defensive end made 47 tackles – a league-leading 22 of them being for a loss – 28 quarterback hits and 14 sacks. Garrett earned his fifth-straight Pro Bowl nomination and second-straight First-Team All-Pro nod.
Garrett has registered double digit sacks in even of his eight seasons. The only time he didn’t was as a rookie, where he still got seven. Montez Sweat led the Bears with 5.5 sacks in 2024. Chicago hasn’t had a double digit sack-getter since Robert Quinn registered 18.5 in 2021.
Adding Garrett not only brings one of the best pass rushers in the game to Chicago, but it makes life easier on Sweat. He would no longer be getting added focus from the offensive line, giving him a clearer run to the quarterback. Opposing tackles must focus on two star pass rushers, rather than just Sweat.
In his eight-year NFL career, Myles Garrett has registered a whopping 102.5 while taking home the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year. The only thing he hasn’t done is compete for a Super Bowl. He’s hopeful Cleveland will follow through on his trade request and send him to a contender.
Bears championship caliber
The first step is having the Browns switch their mindset on actually trading Garrett. Then, the Chicago Bears must come forward with a suitable offer. But the final step of the puzzle is actually convincing Myles Garrett that Chicago is on the rise.
The Bears haven’t made the playoffs since 2020 and haven’t advanced past the Wild Card Round since 2010. The 2018 season was the last time Chicago has had double-digit wins, and the Bears are coming off of a 5-12 season that saw sweeping changes across the organization.
At the same time though, the Bears are now welcoming in a new head coach in Ben Johnson. They have nearly $80 million to spend in free agency, and General Manager Ryan Poles is keen to be aggressive in pursuing top players. The recent success might not be there, but many around the league believe Chicago’s arrow is pointing up.
Of all the ways the Bears can address their offensive line, actually trading for Garrett might be the toughest route. However, if and when the Browns make him available, the Chicago Bears are one of the loan teams with the draft capital and cap space to get a trade done.
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