The Chicago Bears' pass rush continues to be disappointing and has been since last season. Montez Sweat has at least regained some of his old form, but it's not enough. All of their other edge rushers have underperformed, especially free agent addition Dayo Odeyingbo. Thankfully, Austin Booker has returned, which might help. However, he alone can't be expected to solve everything. If this team wants to make a run, they need more from that front four. That is why the name Jaelan Phillips has emerged.
A source told SM that the Bears have kept close tabs on the former 1st round pick. As the Miami Dolphins flounder, many expect them to deal with him for draft capital to initiate a rebuilding process. GM Ryan Poles has a habit of targeting talented younger players. Phillips fits the profile. The obvious question is how much it will cost. Luckily, Dianna Russini provided an answer in her latest column for The Athletic. It is believed Miami is holding firm at a 3rd round pick. Would the Bears give that up?
Miami has received interest from the Eagles, 49ers, Patriots and others on OLB Jaelan Phillips (The Dolphins are looking for at least a third-rounder in return). They’re also getting calls on DE Bradley Chubb and OLB Matthew Judon.
Jaelan Phillips presents one big issue for the Bears.
That is his contract. This season is the last of his rookie deal. That means he is a free agent in 2026. Chicago would have three options on the table if they traded for him: extend him, franchise tag him, or let him walk. The tag is out of the question. That would saddle the Bears with a top five salary cap hit for next season, and they don't have much cap space to work with. That means either they extend him or let him hit the market. The latter seems foolish because it would mean you gave up a 3rd round pick for what amounted to half a season of production.
That might be fine if you felt Jaelan Phillips was the last piece to a Super Bowl puzzle, but that is not the case for Chicago. Trading for him would require long-term planning. He's 26, so keeping him around makes sense. The problem is that the Bears have already sunk a ton of money into their defensive line.
- Montez Sweat - $25 million in 2026
- Dayo Odeyingbo - $20.5 million in 2026
- Grady Jarrett - $19 million in 2026
You can't possibly add another player who will command at least $20 million per year—probably more. That means the Bears would have to unload one of those names. Cutting Odeyingbo or Jarrett with a post-June designation would saddle them with $17 million in dead money. That, along with some restructuring of other deals, could get it done, but that could hurt them down the road. It is a difficult knot to untangle.
