One rare trade clause could halt Bears' potential pursuit of Haason Reddick

With trade season in full swing around the NFL, there is a question if the Chicago Bears will do anything to upgrade their team before the Nov. 5 deadline. Two major areas of concern moving forward are still a solidified pass rusher opposite of Montez Sweat and upgrades to the offensive line.

To play meaningful games late in the season, the team must address the trenches and while former Bears defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris was traded from Jacksonville to Seattle this week, the headlines have been about big-name wide receivers in their new homes. Former Packers and Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams was reunited with his former quarterback Aaron Rodgers as he was traded from Vegas to the New York Jets, and former Raiders, Cowboys, and Browns receiver Amari Cooper was sent to Buffalo.

One of the biggest names in trade rumors is defensive end Haason Reddick, a pass-rushing specialist but there should be little to no optimism that he will become a member of the Bears.

Last season, the Bears struck a deal to bring in Sweat from the Washington Commanders, sending a 2024 second-round pick in exchange for the star defensive end, and in return, he compiled six sacks for the Bears, was named to the 2024 Pro Bowl, and is one of seven players to have five or more sacks in each of the last five seasons.

Before the season began, Reddick was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Jets in exchange for a conditional 2026 third-round pick. The first set of conditions was that if Reddick played 67.5% of the snaps for the Jets, or recorded 10 sacks, the pick would become a second-round pick.

One other clause that is being considered rare to see in a trade, the Jets would also be on the hook to send the Eagles a second-round pick if Reddick was traded by the Jets to another team in the NFC. After wanting a new contract and not getting it, Reddick was traded to the Jets but never received that new contract after the trade. He has been on the sidelines all of the 2024 season, was recently fired by his agency and then hired Drew Rosenhaus to represent him, hoping to find a resolution to his 2024 season.

There's no denying the talent level of Reddick as a pass rusher and what he could bring to the Bears defense. However, the Jets may think long and hard about having to trade him to a NFC team and losing a second-round pick, and the receiving team will have to consider terms of a deal, when they could potentially get Reddick on the field, and what he could bring to the locker room. The talent is there, but the stipulations and circumstances make it quite the stretch to believe he will be a Chicago Bear this season.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Rare trade clause could halt Bears potential pursuit of Haason Reddick