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This page lists all the 2024 Trades for the Chicago Bears. I’ve listed all of the NFL Free Agent Signing Grades here, which included the trades. Because I’ve begun posting polls for the trades, I thought it would make sense to list just the NFL trades here, so archiving the voting would be easier.
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- Total Trades: 5
- Average Grade: D (66.4)
November 2024 – Trades and Signings
Bengals acquire RB Khalil Herbert from Bears for 7th-round pick
I thought Khalil Herbert was going to be traded much earlier than this. I projected the Cowboys to acquire him at the start of the season. Instead, Herbert has been rotting on Chicago’s bench until now.
If the Bengals truly have playoff aspirations, it makes sense to obtain Herbert. Zack Moss will be out for a while, so Cincinnati didn’t have a viable backup behind Chase Brown. If Brown gets hurt, the Bengals can at least turn to Herbert, who is a talented runner. Some would even say that he’s an upgrade over Moss as a pure rusher.
It doesn’t feel as though the Bears played this well. They probably could have squeezed a bit more out of Herbert. Then again, this is a team that traded Justin Fields for peanuts rather than being patient and waiting for a team to suffer a quarterback injury, so they have a history of squandering resources in trades.
Grade for Bengals – A
Grade for Bears – C
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August 2024 – Trades and Signings
Bears acquire DE/OLB Darrell Taylor from Seahawks for 6th-round pick
The Bears were criticized for not obtaining an edge rusher to complement Montez Sweat this offseason, but perhaps this trade should quell any worries about the team’s ability to generate pressure on the quarterback. Chicago finally obtained someone to pair with Sweat, snatching Darrell Taylor from Seattle for a mere sixth-round pick.
This is an excellent deal for the Bears. Taylor is a big liability against the run, but he can rush the passer very well. He has 21.5 sacks in his previous three seasons despite not being a full-time player.
As for the Seahawks, I’m not quite sure why they’d move Taylor outside of wanting to begin the rebuilding process. It seems like they could have gotten more for Taylor than just a sixth-round pick, however.
Grade for Bears – A
Grade for Seahawks – C-
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March 2024 – Trades and Signings
Steelers acquire QB Justin Fields from Bears for 2025 conditional third-day draft pick
Rumors floated around that Mike Tomlin was a huge fan of Justin Fields, but Pittsburgh no longer seemed like a viable option for Fields in the wake of the Russell Wilson signing. How could the Steelers justify spending significant resources on Fields after signing Wilson?
Well, we have our answer. And that would be that the Steelers didn’t. Pittsburgh is relinquishing just a 2025 sixth-round pick that could turn into a fourth-rounder based on playing time. Of course, the real cost is spending money on Fields’ impending contract, but it’s not like the Steelers are ever in a position to land a franchise quarterback, given that their great defense and coaching staff will prevent them from having one of the worst records in the NFL.
Still, this is a slam dunk for the Steelers, who may have their quarterback of the future. Fields has injury concerns, but if he can remain healthy, he’s talented enough to lead Pittsburgh to a deep playoff run.
The Bears, meanwhile, lost this trade by a mile. I don’t know what they’re thinking. They should have taken a page from the Eagles’ playbook when Philadelphia had Sam Bradford and drafted Carson Wentz second overall. Instead of trading Bradford for pennies on the dollar, they held on to him until they found a team that was desperate. That turned out to be the Vikings, who panicked when Teddy Bridgewater suffered a devastating injury. The Eagles consequently secured a first-round pick for Bradford. The Bears couldn’t even get a third-, or even a guaranteed fourth- or fifth-rounder! What a horrible mismanagement of resources.
Grade for Steelers – A+
Grade for Bears – MILLEN
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Bears acquire WR Keenan Allen from Chargers for 4th-round pick
As someone who considered betting the Bears at 50/1 to win the Super Bowl, I said I was disappointed with how their offseason had gone thus far. They barely signed anyone of note in free agency, and when they did, it was an overpay at running back or tight end.
Well, I can’t say I’m disappointed any longer. This is a blockbuster move to make sure Caleb Williams has some amazing weapons at his disposal. The Bears already had D.J. Moore and Cole Kmet, but really nothing beyond those two players. Williams will now have Allen added to his arsenal, which has to make him very excited. Allen is a receptions monster who helped develop one young quarterback in Justin Herbert, so he’ll be able to help Williams similarly. Allen has a checkered injury history, but the Bears are just giving up a fourth-round pick. This is a steal.
The Bears definitely won this trade. The Chargers were effectively forced into a deal because they were up against the salary cap, and Allen didn’t want to take a pay cut. This move definitely hurts the Chargers’ chances of being competitive in 2024, as Quentin Johnston is the remaining No. 1 receiver. When my 2024 NFL Mock Draft is updated next week, I’m going to slot Malik Nabers to them at No. 5 overall.
Grade for Bears – A
Grade for Chargers – D
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Bears acquire G/C Ryan Bates from Bills for 2024 5th-round pick
The Bears recently tried to acquire Ryan Bates in free agency, but the Bills beat them to the punch. Chicago finally got its man, acquiring Bates from Buffalo for a fifth-round pick.
This isn’t a bad trade for Chicago, but it’s a rather curious one. Bates is a solid depth player who can start at multiple positions on the offensive line. However, the Bears could have obtained someone comparable to him in free agency without surrendering any sort of draft compensation. It may have cost them more money, but they’ve got plenty of cap space.
Given the unnecessary use of resources, I can’t grade the Bears favorably. I like that they strengthened their blocking for Caleb Williams (presumably), but the Bills won this trade because they got a free draft pick out of it.
Grade for Bears – C
Grade for Bills – A-
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