Bears trade demands shift positions after D'Andre Swift's big game but the team should still avoid it for one clear reason

Happy Victory Tuesday in Chicago! The Bears are fresh off a third consecutive game and improved above .500 for the first time under head coach Ben Johnson with another impressive win on Monday night against the Washington Commanders.

Yet, instead of basking in the victory feeling, fans are harping on the negatives shown by the team last night and there were plenty to go over.

And with the trade deadline looming, fans have switched up the stance on which position they'd like to see the Bears go after on the trade market. Following D'Andre Swift's big game after the bye week, the talk of adding another running back rightfully quieted down, but the talk of adding a pass rusher continues to grow. But, I think even that's something the Bears should avoid for one reason.

Bears need to see what they have in Austin Booker before considering any trade for a pass rusher

Yes, the pass rush has been a major disappointment, even after the bye week, through the first five games of the season for the Bears. But, help is on the way.

Second-year defensive end Austin Booker was a late scratch in Week 6 as he continues to work his way back from a preseason knee injury that forced him to start his season on the injured reserve. Booker was a full participant all week in practice, so the late call was a surprising move.

Regardless, sooner than later Booker will be rotating back in for this team, likely in Week 7 against the New Orleans Saints. And the Bears need to see what they have in him before even considering adding another body to the room that could take snaps away.

Booker is one of three defensive ends currently under contract in Chicago for the 2026 season, along with Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo. Sweat and Odeyingbo have largely disappointed this season with hefty price tags but, the last time we saw Booker, it was encouraging considering he had five sacks in two preseason games.

“He’s another guy where, I thought you felt the pass rush there, particularly in the game setting,” head coach Ben Johnson said of Booker last week. “I saw it in practice and the joint practices as well. He was a guy that was able to affect the quarterback. That’s something that we talked about as a unit here today. Points of emphasis, where can we improve. Obviously, it’s the penalties, it’s the run game, but affecting the quarterback, we’re not doing a good enough job of it. That’s really where I saw Booker making the biggest impact there in the preseason. We’ll have to see where he is now back on the practice field.”