The Chicago Bears have been busy upgrading the offensive line with blockbuster trades for All-Pro guard Joe Thuney and former Pro Bowler Jonah Jackson, but there’s a growing sentiment that GM Ryan Poles will pivot to the pass-rusher market when 2025 free agency begins on March 10.

However, Poles may not be done using trades to upgrade the roster. He might just pull off another blockbuster move to secure a complementary pass rusher for Montez Sweat in Dennis Allen’s defense.

In a recent analysis of potential offseason trades aimed at creating salary cap relief, the Bears capitalize on the Buffalo Bills’ financial hardship and acquire Von Miller, the 35-year-old future Hall of Famer.

“The Bears can mix and match a young pass-rusher with Miller opposite of Montez Sweat on the edge,” Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton wrote. “In Chicago, Miller would reunite with Dennis Allen, who was his first defensive coordinator in the NFL.

“The Bills are $9.7 million over the salary-cap limit, but trading Miller would save them $8.4 million.”

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Look, I understand why this projection was made. The Bears need pass rushers, and with plenty of salary cap space, they can afford to take on a player like Von Miller, who, based on name recognition alone, seems like a logical target.

But Miller is 35 and already on a pitch count. As Moton noted, Miller played on just 34 percent of the Bills’ defensive snaps the last two years, and there’s no reason to think he’ll up that number now that he’s a year older.

Now two years removed from a torn ACL in 2022, Miller might have one last push for double-digit sacks left in him. But I wouldn’t count on it, and I definitely wouldn’t bet on Ryan Poles using the Bears’ cap space on that kind of risk.

Instead, the Bears are more likely to target a younger pass rusher like Josh Sweat (Eagles) or Chase Young (Saints) in free agency.

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Published 2 Hours Ago|Modified 3:09 PM EST