Chicago Bears swing trade for former top pick to address big need

Last week, the Chicago Bears attempted to trade for Matthew Judon. The four-time Pro Bowl pass-rusher was traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2025 third-round pick instead. But Judon reportedly had a choice of which team he wanted to join, between the Bears and Falcons. A clip from HBO’s Hard Knocks indicated the Bears were only interested if Judon would have agreed to their contract extension offer.

Nevertheless, they didn’t end up with the 32-year-old. However, that doesn’t mean Chicago was done pursuing a way to upgrade their pass-rush before Week 1 of the NFL season kicks off. Now, they’ve executed a trade, and this player is a lot younger than Judon, even if he’s not nearly as accomplished.

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Chicago Bears’ trade for Darrell Taylor provides a much-needed pass-rushing boost

According to multiple reports, the Seattle Seahawks have traded pass-rusher Darrell Taylor to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick . Taylor, 27, was selected 48th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Tennessee.

• Darrell Taylor stats (career): 67 tackles, 21.5 sacks, 5 FF

After missing his entire rookie season due to injury, Taylor has started just 13 of the 49 games he’s appeared in. Yet, that hasn’t prevented him from being a productive pass-rusher, topping out with 9.5 sacks in 2022. Taylor now joins a rotation that features Montez Sweat, DeMarcus Walker, and rookie fifth-round pick Austin Booker in Chicago. Whether he’ll get a chance to start remains to be seen, but he’s likely the new favorite to see snaps opposite of Sweat.

For the cost of just a sixth-round pick, acquiring Taylor has a chance to pay off in a big way for the Bears.

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