Poles was determined to get an extension done before investing part of the organization’s future, a 2025 third-round pick, in a proposed trade to the Patriots.
“I don’t want the club to be in a situation where we have a player who is here, we gave up a draft pick and we haven’t had a resolution on a contract,” Poles said.
A player of Judon’s caliber would have a huge impact on the Bears’ defense, which finished second in sacks (30) last season. The 32-year-old played just four games before suffering a season-ending torn biceps, but he made the Pro Bowl in each of the previous four seasons.
Ultimately, Judon was traded to the Falcons without a contract extension. Once news broke that Judon was leaving for Atlanta, Poles pondered what could have been.
“If he gets 20 sacks or something, yeah, it’ll make me sick,” Poles told Bears director of football administration Matt Feinstein.
Hoping to improve the situation, Feinstein quickly reminded the Poles of his decision to trade and acquire rookie pass rusher Austin Booker.
“It’s Judon for a third-round pick and significant financial need,” Feinstein said. “We traded a fourth-round pick for Austin Booker for four years.”
While he wasn’t able to land a big name via trade this time around, Poles has remained aggressive and has made several trades over his tenure to improve the Bears’ roster, including for DJ Moore, Montez Sweat and Keenan Allen. Perhaps another veteran pass rusher in search of a new contract could also be in the Bears’ interest heading into the regular season.
