Unfortunately for the Chicago Bears, the duo of Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo have not produced the type of game-wrecking play the team had hoped for entering the season.
That’s not to say Chicago’s defense has been awful — in fact, it’s fair to say the unit is already trending upwards under first-year defensive coordinator Dennis Allen — but the Bears still lack any kind of rotational depth behind Sweat, Odeyingbo and the unproven Austin Booker.
NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo listed veteran Arden Key as a player currently getting strong trade interest, and ESPN insider Adam Schefter also put Key on his list of realistic trade candidates.
“Among the edge players who have garnered interest are the Titans‘ Arden Key, the Dolphins’ Bradley Chubb and the Packers’ Kingsley Enagbare,” Rapoport and Garafolo wrote on October 11, also noting the Titans were “open for business.”
Some Background on Key’s NFL Career So Far
GettyArden Key of the Tennessee Titans could be a realistic trade option for the Chicago Bears.
It’s no surprise the Titans are looking to be sellers as the November 4 trade deadline approaches. At 1–4, if Tennessee loses to the Raiders Week 6, you can bet they’ll be looking to move vets with tradeable contracts. Key, 29, qualifies.
He’s in the final year of the three-year, $21 million deal he signed in 2023. With a salary just over $7 million this season, he’d be a short-term rental unless the Bears like what they see — then, they could extend him.
A third-round pick for the Raiders in 2018 had just 3.0 sacks over his first three seasons before reinventing himself with the San Francisco 49ers in 2021. In recent years, the former LSU standout has quietly become one of the NFL’s most reliable rotational pass rushers.
He had 6.5 sacks in 2021, and finished with 4.5 sacks during a lone with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022. Tennessee saw enough to give him a multi-year deal the following year, and Key amassed 6.0 sacks and 57 quarterback pressures in 2023 before matching his career high with 6.5 sacks in 2024. Through five games this season, he’s logged 1.5 sacks before a minor quad injury forced him to sit Week 6 out.
Outside of a broken foot that ended his 2019 season with the Raiders, he hasn’t had any significant injuries, playing at least 14 games in every season since. A six-game suspension last summer was overturned on appeal, and he’s had no lingering issues.
Should the Chicago Bears Try to Trade for Titans DE Arden Key?
If he’s available, he might be one of Chicago’s better options. At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Key has the length and athleticism Bears DC Dennis Allen likes in his DEs, but his versatility might be his most appealing trait.
Key’s ability to slide inside on passing downs expands what the Bears can do without tipping their hand. He could line up opposite Sweat, or kick inside to collapse the pocket when Chicago wants to keep seven in coverage.
So, what might a trade for Key cost Chicago? We think a 2026 fifth-rounder would be a realistic place to start for the Bears.
There’s little question the Bears need more from their DEs, and unfortunately, they do have Sweat and Odeyingbo signed to pricey deals. Key’s affordable, though, and he could push both of Chicago’s current edges while also giving the teams the depth it sorely needs.
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