The Indianapolis Colts made waves on Monday morning, giving the NFL world its first firing of the 2026 season. General manager Chris Ballard has been fired after 10 years with the Colts, following a disastrous loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans. Head coach Shane Steichen has not been fired, but this only fuels speculations that the Colts are about to undergo the kind of fire-sale that the Miami Dolphins did a year ago when they fired Chris Grier but retained head coach Mike McDaniel.
In many ways, the Colts would be better off trading away their best players before the deadline, and the Chicago Bears should stand ready to benefit from their chaos. Specifically, the general manager Ryan Poles ought to make a phone call to gauge the trade value of one player in particular: two-time All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
DeForest Buckner would bring proven production to the Bears' motley crew
Buckner is currently experiencing something of a renaissance season. Despite turning 32-years-old in March, he's already up to four sacks through six weeks this season. He's the third-highest ranked defensive tackle according to Pro Football Network, earning a 92.8 impact grade. He missed some time in each of the last two seasons, but over the previous three years, Buckner had racked up 23 total sacks without missing a game.
This is exactly the kind of player the Bears should be targeting as they continue their march towards the playoffs. Though they've had their moments, the defensive line play has not been up to snuff, and it's not likely to get better with Montez Sweat suspended for one more game and Dayo Odeyingbo currently on Injured Reserve. That is, unless they make a trade for a player like Buckner.
Big No. 99 would immediately slot into Chicago's starting lineup alongside Grady Jarrett. This would push Kentavius Street back into a rotational backup role, which is where he can do his best work.
What would a trade for DeForest Buckner look like?
Despite his impressive resume, Buckner is well past being the kind of trade target that would be deemed a 'blockbuster move'. As aforementioned, he's 32 years old and is playing on the last year of his contract. Any trade for Buckner at this point would most likely be a one-year rental with potential for a small, two-year contract extension.
With that in mind, and considering the Colts' desperate position, I would imagine that the Bears could send Indianapolis the fifth-round pick they acquired by trading Gervon Dexter Sr. to the Falcons, and that might be sufficient to bring on Buckner. Remember, the Bears got future Hall of Fame guard Joe Thuney for only a fourth-round pick, so a fifth-rounder is a reasonable price for both sides.
In this mock trade, the Bears would score a serious upgrade along their defensive line, the Colts would free up some salary cap space and add a draft pick to their war chest, and Buckner could finally play for a legit contender. Pick up the phone, Ryan Poles, before someone else does.
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