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What a Micah Parsons trade would mean for Chicago Bears fans

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated Aug 2, 2025 10:22 PM ET

Two people. That's how many NFL defenders have registered at least 12 sacks in each of their first four seasons. One is current Dallas Cowboy Micah Parsons, and the other is arguably the greatest defender in NFL history, Reggie White. And while White spent his twilight NFL years with the Green Bay Packers, Parsons has a chance to spend his prime with Green Bay's archrival, the Chicago Bears.

A potential trade for Parsons would be wildly expensive, make no mistake about that. But the Bears are no strangers to swinging a blockbuster trade for an elite pass rusher. Just 7 years ago, the Bears sent two first-round picks and a couple of pick swaps to the Oakland Raiders to acquire the former Defensive Player of the Year, Khalil Mack.

Every Bears fan can tell you where they were when news of the Mack trade broke. The spirits of the entire city lifted, and Mack made a splash in his debut game as a Bear, registering a strip sack and a pick-six against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers all in the first half. Although that team did not experience the kind of sustained success that many expected, the Bears did win the NFC North in 2018 and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

Khalil Mack's first half:
• Strip sack
• Fumble recovery
• Pick-six

Worth every penny. pic.twitter.com/nBTWR8UGfB
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 10, 2018

The mood in the Windy City is already high as the 2025 season approaches. Head coach Ben Johnson promises to bring the kind of innovative offense not seen in Chicago in decades. Caleb Williams seems to keep having 'his best day yet' with each new training camp practice and is primed for a breakout season. Of the entire NFL, the Bears seem the favorites to make the biggest leap in 2025. Add a trade for arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL into the mix, and you'd start seeing the Super Bowl Shuffle all over the city of Chicago.

Could the Bears actually steal Micah Parsons from Dallas in a trade? It would be an expensive trade, but not prohibitively so. It would likely require something like the Khalil Mack trade package, though you could potentially substitute a player for one of the two first-round picks.

That's not an easy trade to make. A first-round pick could end up being extremely valuable if the trade doesn't work out or if the injury bug robs Chicago of a playoff spot. But it's a risk worth taking, in my opinion. When you look at the Bears on paper and in a vacuum, ignoring their shameful past of falling flat on their faces amidst an offseason of hype, they should absolutely be playoff contenders. Adding Parsons would make them instant Super Bowl contenders, if everything else goes according to plan.

Simply put, if GM Ryan Poles believes he has the right quarterback and the right head coach, then this is the kind of blockbuster trade he should be trying to make. It would send a clear signal that the Bears are ready to win now and would inject the fanbase with the kind of hope they haven't felt since that magical 2018 run.

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

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