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3 trades Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles must consider during Week 5 bye

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated Oct 3, 2025 10:02 AM ET

The Chicago Bears have reached their bye week earlier than in previous seasons, and while some fans are annoyed it has seemingly broken their momentum from two straight wins, the benefits of the bye week have come at just the right time. For one, this break gives them extra time to get healthy, particularly on defense. Kyler Gordon, TJ Edwards, and Grady Jarrett will hopefully all be coming back for Week 6, and Darnell Wright for the offense, too.

Second, the Bears can self-scout and hopefully find some solutions before most other teams. Through four weeks, we have a pretty good idea of what's working and what's not for this team, and we're also noting some roster trends which can inform potential trade scenarios. With that in mind, here are three players the Bears should consider trading before the November 4 deadline.

1. DJ Moore

Let's start with the most controversial trade, and that would be to ship off DJ Moore, who had an incredible debut season for the Bears in 2023 following his trade from the Carolina Panthers. Unfortunately, 2024 saw a significant regression for Moore and 2025 isn't looking much better. Second-year receiver Rome Odunze may have already surpassed DJ Moore as WR1 in Chicago, which makes Moore's contract situation untenable.

Additionally, both veteran Olamide Zacchaeus and rookie Luther Burden III fill the same kind of role that Moore does, albeit to a lesser degree (for now, in Burden's case). If Burden can continue to develop under head coach Ben Johnson, it's easy to see him taking over that role entirely, should Moore no longer be on the roster.

Considering the other needs this team has, this trade might prove too fruitful to pass up. Moore should fetch a premium draft pick in a trade, either a high second-rounder or a low first-rounder, or a good player at a position of need, like defensive end. Which brings us to our next player.

2. Montez Sweat

No two ways about it, the Bears' trade for Montez Sweat has been a complete bust. Yes, he had a nice run during the second half of 2023 when he earned a Pro Bowl nod and led the Bears in sacks, but he's been borderline unplayable ever since. He finished 2024 with a paltry 5.5 sacks and through four games this year has just one.

Unlike a potential DJ Moore trade, Sweat would not be a very attractive trade target, mostly due to his contract. He's set to make $25 million AAV over the next three seasons, according to Spotrac. The Bears would likely have to eat a massive portion of that contract in order to get anything back in a trade that would make the deal worth their while.

3. D'Andre Swift

This is a trade that doesn't need much justification. Swift has been an unmitigated disaster for the Bears since they signed him in free agency in 2024. His $9.3 million cap hit in 2025 is the fifth highest out of all running backs, according to Spotrac. This puts Swift ahead of even Philadelphia's Saquon Barkley while he averages a measly 3.3 yards per carry.

The Bears cannot abide this meager production if they're going to be competitive in a red-hot NFC North division. A poor running game is the easiest way to kill a young quarterback's momentum at this level and the Bears need to move Heaven and Earth to find a solution. That starts with sending off Swift for whatever another team will offer and splitting reps between Kyle Monangai and Roschon Johnson.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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