With the shocking news that the Rams are finalizing a trade with the Browns for star pass rusher Myles Garrett, let's look into whether the Chicago Bears could have made a move.
The Los Angeles Rams operate differently from the rest of the NFL.
According to multiple reports, the Browns are finalizing a trade for star pass rusher Myles Garrett to the Rams in exchange for edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick.
This is a massive move for both teams, but one that directly impacts the Chicago Bears and the rest of the NFC. The Bears took the Rams into overtime in the Divisional Round last season, but fell short in the 20-17 loss at Soldier Field.
The rich get richer, and the Rams will undoubtedly be the heavy favorite to win the Super Bowl this upcoming season after adding the two-time Defensive Player of the Year and current record holder for the most sacks in a single season (23).
Now, there may be some Bears fans wondering, well, could the Bears have made a trade package similar to what the Rams gave up to acquire Garrett?
Let's be honest, no.
Verse is a 25-year-old pass rusher who was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024, and been a Pro Bowler in each of his first two seasons. According to Pro Football Focus, he registered 80 total quarterback pressures, the sixth-most among edge rushers in 2025.
The Bears simply don't have someone like that on their team. Montez Sweat led Chicago in quarterback pressures with 54.
If you're starting at that point in the trade alone, the Bears fall well short. Unless, somehow the Browns would have taken a 29-year-old Sweat and his four-year, $98 million contract. That's another part of the equation, Verse is still on his rookie deal and will have a cap hit of $4.1 million in 2026 and $4.8 million in 2027.
Then it's all the picks: first round (2027), second round (2028) and third round (2029).
Bears general manager Ryan Poles has never traded a first-round pick for a player. He's used first-round picks in trades, like in 2023 when the Poles traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Panthers for DJ Moore, ninth and 61st overall in 2023, a 2024 first-round pick, and 2025 second-round pick. Poles also traded the ninth overall pick in 2023 to the Eagles in exchange for No. 10 overall and fourth-round pick that was used on punter Tory Taylor.
Poles did trade a 2023 second-round pick for Chase Claypool, and traded a 2024 second-rounder for Sweat, but that's the most the Bears' GM has given up.
Earlier this offseason, Poles did say the team "checked into" a possible trade for Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby, but nobody knows how serious the Bears were on making a move.
“Again, I think I’ve mentioned this over the years, just constantly looking at short term, long term,” Poles said in March. “What’s going to help this football team now? But also, being conscious of what’s going to happen down the road. We want to sustain success. We talk about that a lot. In order to do that, we have to be very calculated with the moves we make. So when we were looking into different situations, we took that into account. We felt like sticking with our plan going into free agency, that was the best thing for us.”
Seeing what it took to acquire Garrett doesn't fall in line with Poles' philosophy, but that type of player should create internal discussions to potentially deviate from that initial mindset.
To be fair, the Rams have shown they aren't afraid to give up future draft capital. It's what they do. The organization also knows their time with quarterback Matthew Stafford is coming to a close, even though he signed a one-year contract extension worth $55 million. Los Angeles used a first-round pick to select Ty Simpson No. 13 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Caleb Williams is still on his rookie contract and will likely earn himself a huge payday after this upcoming season. The Bears and Rams are both competing for Super Bowls in 2026, but they are not nearly in identical situations.
The Bears are relying on improved coaching and the edge rushers they currently have after not drafting one or signing anybody in free agency to upgrade the pass rush. That's one way address a unit that struggled last season. The Rams went with a different approach, acquiring one of the best players in the NFL.
