The Chicago Bears are more interested in beefing up the interior of the defensive line than adding a rush-first defensive end, which team brass has made clear on multiple occasions this offseason.
Most recently, Chicago took a one-year flyer on injury-prone DE Marcus Davenport to fill out a unit that lacks an accomplished edge-rusher opposite Montez Sweat. However, the team was in on trade talks for defensive tackle Vita Vea before he inked a massive new extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday, August 19.
“The #Bears and #Bills were among the teams with interest in trading for Vita Vea, but the #Bucs never wanted to move him, per sources,” Jordan Schultz reported via X. “The deal is now done and Vea is under contract in total for 2 years, $54M.”
Bears More Likely to Pursue Elite Defensive Tackle in Coming Months Than High-End Pass-Rusher
GettyTampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea.
Dealing for Vea would have certainly meant a multi-year investment from the Bears in the two-time Pro Bowler who is heading into his age-31 campaign. It also would have almost certainly cost Chicago at least a second-round pick in the 2027 NFL draft, if not a first, after the New York Giants flipped DT Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 10 selection this year.
The willingness of the Bears to spend that kind of draft capital and agree to an extension for an interior defender in his early 30s speaks volumes about what the coaching staff values most with regards to an underperforming front-seven that was near the bottom of the league both against the run and in key pass-rush categories.
It also offers a harbinger for how Bears brass is likely to move forward, either ahead of the early November trade deadline or next offseason, with regards to bolstering its lackluster defensive front.
Rookie Defensive Tackle Jordan Van Den Berg Has Been Breakout Player at Bears Training Camp
GettyDefensive tackle Jordan van den Berg of the Chicago Bears.
Chicago’s interest in Vea is also interesting in the context of the current defensive tackle rotation, which sixth-round rookie Jordan van den Berg is threatening to crack in a meaningful way.
Grady Jarrett is entering the second season of a three-year deal in 2026, while fellow presumptive starter Gervon Dexter Sr., a second-round pick, is about the play out the final year of his rookie contract. Chicago can save money next offseason by either cutting Jarrett and/or moving on from Dexter.
The former is more likely than the latter given how much younger Dexter is and how much better he played than Jarrett in 2025. However, the quick rise of van den Berg up the depth chart while on an inexpensive contract that will last the next four years could potentially render both Jarrett and Dexter expendable next offseason.
Had Chicago acquired Vea by way of a trade, the team could have viably pursued a future at the position in which he and van den Berg functioned as the two starters.
Thus, while Vea is no longer an option, it is possible now to envision a future for the Bears in which they pair van den Berg with a high-end defensive tackle that the team acquires by way of trade or free agency in the coming months.
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