By now, Chicago Bears fans have heard the latest hot rumor. Superstar defensive tackle Chris Jones is at odds with the Kansas City Chiefs over his contract. He seems prepared to carry his ongoing holdout into the regular season if necessary. While the Chiefs have indicated they have no plans to trade Jones, everybody knows things can change. That is likely why GM Ryan Poles reportedly inquired about the situation recently. Carmen DeFalco of ESPN 1000 indicated as much during his Carmen & Jurko radio show.
It's not a hard thing to imagine. Poles helped draft Jones in 2016 when he was a personnel director for Kansas City. He knows what a game-wrecker the four-time Pro Bowler can be.
Fans can't help but dream about the possibility. Chicago has rebuilt their defense with lots of young talent. Yannick Ngakoue bolstered their edge rush. All they're missing is a devastating presence in the middle. Jones is the ideal solution. This entire situation reminds people of the Khalil Mack trade five years ago.
Chris Jones is not a gamble the Bears are ready to take.
It's not because they can't afford him. Poles has two 1st round picks in 2024 and two 2nd round picks in 2025. Chicago also has tons of salary cap space waiting for them next year. So they can give him the extension he's seeking. The problem is Justin Fields. As great as the Mack move was, it proved a waste in the grand scheme because Mitch Trubisky wasn't who the Bears had hoped he'd be at quarterback. Teams should not take huge swings like this on the trade market unless they're certain they have a franchise guy under center.
The Bears can't say Fields is that guy. Not yet. He showed lots of promise last season. His rushing stats were some of the best in NFL history. However, he remains unproven as a passer. Until he can make that jump similar to guys like Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson, he will be nothing more than a dangerous rushing threat. Defenses will corral him eventually. Poles made several moves this off-season to help Fields blossom. However, none of them were what you'd call "all-in" moves. The Bears GM has kept his options open.
Chris Jones is a fun fantasy, but the likelihood of it happening is remote. The lingering uncertainty of Fields is a big reason why.
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