The start of the 2025 NFL season is still over one week out, but already, the Chicago Bears and two NFC North rivals already took an L. On August 28, the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys stunned the world, completing a trade that sent Micah Parsons to Green Bay in exchange for multiple 1st Round picks, ending a saga in Big D that seemed destined to conclude with Parsons signing a record-setting contract extension to remain with the Cowboys.
Unfortunately for everyone except the Green Bay Packers, that’s not how it played out, and in the immediate aftermath of ESPN’s Adam Schefter breaking the news about one of the biggest NFL trades in recent memory, Bears safety Jaquan Brisker had the same response that I and many other Bears fans had after learning about the deal.
There are a few different layers to all of this. First, Brisker and Parsons were teammates at Penn State, and in the past, Brisker has openly called for the Bears to get in on the Micah Parsons sweepstakes. However, that was back when it seemed inconceivable that Jerry Jones would screw things up just as badly as his Dallas counterpart Nico Harrison did with the even-more-unexpected Luka Doncic trade back in February.
Second, the Bears should’ve been in on the Micah Parsons sweepstakes even if there wasn’t the connection between him and Brisker. While Ben Johnson could claim that one of the strengths of the Bears roster is their defensive front, if you get the opportunity to move all of your chips into the center of the table for the best young edge rusher in the NFL, you’ve gotta do it.
Third, and by far the most important point here, is the fact that the Bears now need to worry about seeing Micah Parsons two times each season for at least the next four years. It’s a straight up nightmare scenario. Even with a beefed up offensive line and a play-caller who can scheme up protections with the best of ’em, you want to avoid a player of Parsons’ caliber at all costs if you can. Now the Bears have no choice but to deal with Parsons wreaking havoc.
Where Do the Bears Go From Here?
Now that Micah Parsons and Trey Hendrickson are both off the table, there isn’t an obvious A-list edge rusher that the Bears could pursue via trade. It’s a disappointing reality that Jaquan Brisker and us Bears fans have to accept. But that doesn’t mean Ryan Poles shouldn’t be investigating all moves he could make around the margins to strengthen this group.
Ryan Heckman of Bear Goggles On suggests that Chicago moves on a former 1st overall pick ahead of the start of the season.
“The Bears aren’t going to go out and get a pass rusher like Parsons. But, the need to add to that group is still apparent. And, the best overall option on the market is former no. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney,” Heckman writes. “Clowney classifies as the perfect rotational rusher to come in as the third or fourth guy behind Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo, coming in at times like Austin Booker.”
Since failing to reach expectations in his five seasons with the Houston Texans, Clowney has bounced around the league. Last year, he notched 46 tackles and 5.5 sacks for the Carolina Panthers. Two years ago, Clowney tied his career high with 9.5 sacks while playing for the Baltimore Ravens.
But rather than going punch-for-punch with the Packers and trying to make a splashy acquisition on the defensive side of the ball, Chicago would be better suited getting ready for December 7th, when they’ll have to see Parsons for the first time in a Green Bay uniform.
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