While the Chicago Bears welcome the Buffalo Bills into town for the final preseason tilt, reports are swirling regrading defensive end Trevis Gipson. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Gipson has received permission from the Bears to seek a trade with the NFL season on the horizon.
This is quite an odd circumstance given Gipson's success to begin the preseason. That said, Fowler might be onto something when calling out the scheme change for Gipson. His best career season in the NFL came in 2021 when the Bears still ran a 3-4 defense. As a stand-up outside rusher, Gipson posted seven sacks. In 2022, the Bears flipped to a 4-3 scheme, forcing Gipson to put his hand in the dirt while rushing the passer.
In theory, unless there is a dilemma between Gipson and the coaches, the scheme change is a top reason for this report. Gipson has been strong in preseason action for the Bears, recording eight tackles and a sack entering play on Saturday. That said, it appears Gipson would prefer a change of scenery rather than sticking it out with the Bears. Gipson was a player to keep an eye on this preseason, and now we're seeing the end result of a non-ideal spot on the depth chart.
However, as noted by Aaron Leming, Gipson was still taking third-string reps in practice. The lack of path to a starting spot appears to be another reason for Gipson's request. As for compensation, the Bears likely won't get much for Gipson at this point, so the front office can either do right or wrong by Gipson if they can send him somewhere he wants to go. With the team granting him permission to seek a trade, an ideal scenario should be at the top of the wish list for Gipson.
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