The Chicago Bears had a relatively quiet day on November 4, the final day of the NFL’s trade deadline.
Spurred by the loss of defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo to a season-ending Achilles injury, the Bears explored several trade possibilities in the days leading up to the deadline, and the front office ultimately managed one modest acquisition, securing former first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka from the Cleveland Browns for a 2026 sixth-round pick.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Bears were one of several teams to check in on the availability of Jets edge Jermaine Johnson. That deal never materialized, and general manager Ryan Poles touched on why when speaking to the media on November 5.
“All I can say is we made calls across the league and I check up on all of the guys you would imagine just to see the availability,” Poles said. “You get different answers. Sometimes they change if you start three weeks prior as you get closer, things come up and down based on how teams are doing and how they feel about the player. Sometimes they go to the player and ask him., how do they see the future and go from there. We turned pretty much every stone to find those answers.”
The Bears GM also revealed he’s expecting big things from second-year pass rusher Austin Booker.
Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles Challenges DT Austin Booker to Step Up
GettyChicago Bears GM Ryan Poles had a message for pass rusher Austin Booker.
Drafted in the fifth round out of Kansas in 2024, Booker had a standout preseason this year. He finished with eight tackles, 4.0 sacks and a forced fumble across three preseason games, (stats via PFF), and it’s that potential Poles says he wants to see more flashes of moving forward.
“The timing worked out where we got the extra week to see Book get going again, and I think it reminded us back to the momentum he had going in the preseason,” Poles said about Booker. “You saw those flashes, and we expect those to continue to come.”
A knee injury delayed Booker’s regular season debut, but in his first game back, he had a sack, two tackles and a forced fumble. With Odeyingbo out for the rest of the year, expect DC Dennis Allen to expand his role.
Bears HC Ben Johnson: ‘I Think We’re in a Good Spot’
If the Bears can get decent production from Booker down the stretch, they may find that the best replacement for Odeyingbo was already on the roster. There’s no doubt the organization will continue to evaluate outside options, but the remainder of the season presents a huge opportunity for the second-year edge.
The Bears are also hoping to get a tad more production from the likes of Montez Sweat, who has 4.0 sacks so far this season.
“I feel really good about the move we made,” coach Ben Johnson said after the trade deadline had passed. “I think our guys will step up as we get going here in the second half of the season. I think Sweat is starting to come on. I thought Book had a good start there to the second half with that first game (returning). So I think we’re going to be in a pretty good spot here up front.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Bears GM Ryan Poles Lays Down Challenge to Austin Booker After Trade Deadline appeared first on Heavy Sports.