Jordan van den Berg's Struggles Give Bears Clear Trade Deadline Focus

The Chicago Bears' gamble on Jordan van den Berg hasn't paid off and that has the team in need of help on the interior ahead of the trade deadline.

Chicago Bears defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg (96) makes a tackle against Cincinnati Bengals running back Kentrel Bullock (31) during the second quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When the Chicago Bears traded Gervon Dexter to the Atlanta Falcons before the season started, the team was depending on rookie Jordan van den Berg to step up and help fill the void.

As ESPN's Courtney Cronin wrote in the wake of the trade, van den Berg's rapid ascension during the offseason made the Bears more comfortable to make that trade, but we always knew it was a gamble because van den Berg was anything but proven.

Now, after seven games, it looks like that gamble is not paying off. The 2026 sixth-round pick has made no impact, and he has seen his snaps decline.

After playing a season-high 32.4% of snaps in Week 1, van den Berg has topped out at 21.9% since then, and in Week 7 he appeared for just 9.3%, a career-low.

In all, van den Berg has just one tackle and one pressure. That has forced Chicago to be more reliant on guys like Neville Gallimore and Kentavius Street, but neither player is making the kind of impact the Bears need next to Grady Jarrett.

A clear deadline focus

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles reacts prior to the game against the New England Patriots at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With van den Berg, Gallimore and Street failing to answer the bell, the Bears desperately need to add an interior defensive lineman, and preferably a starting-caliber one.

Along with lackluster pass-rush numbers (Street is the only true interior defensive lineman with a sack), the Bears are giving up the 10th-most yards per carry and are sporting the seventh-worst run stop win rate, according to ESPN.

Chicago is officially sporting the third-best run defense with 87.6 rushing yards per game allowed, but the Bears have also faced the second-fewest rushing atttempts. All but one of the 10 teams that have played one fewer game than Chicago have faced more.

Who's available?

Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart (90) reacts after the game against the Washington Commanders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's a bit early to know who exactly will be available for trade, but we can connect dots to come up with some possible options.

One of the top players on our list was DeForest Buckner, who Chicago reportedly had interest in, but he was traded to San Francisco on Tuesday.

Buckner's teammate, Grover Stewart, is another option, but he doesn't offer much as a pass-rusher, but he can be an upgrade against the run.

Some defensive tackles offer more as a pass-rusher are Vita Vea, Daron Payne and Zach Sieler, all of whom are on teams that are going nowhere.

If general manager Ryan Poles wants to swing for the fences, he should call the Tennessee Titans about Jeffery Simmons, who is one of the best interior defenders in the NFL.

A trade for Simmons would cost a first-round pick and then some, but he would make a massive impact, both as a run defender and pass-rusher, and he's under contract through 2030, so giving up that much draft capital won't hurt as much.

Whether it's a smaller move like acquiring Stewart or a bigger one like a blockbuster for Simmons, any addition on the inside would be welcomed in Chicago.