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Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

The Chicago Bears have been hurting at cornerback ever since they lost Jaylon Johnson to a significant core-muscle injury in Week 2, and while they have expressed optimism that he could return this season, they have no guarantee.

Could that prompt them to make a big swing before the NFL trade deadline next week?

Earlier this week, ESPN tasked several of its top analysts with evaluating where each of the 32 teams in the league stands with respect to the fast-approaching trade deadline, breaking down their expected level of involvement along with potential trade targets.

Among the suggestions, ESPN’s Ben Solak pitched the possibility of the Bears cutting a deal for Washington Commanders veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore before the deadline to fortify their banged-up secondary with a former Pro Bowler still under 30.

“This would be back-to-back trade deadline relocations for Lattimore, who picked off Patrick Mahomes on Monday but has struggled since Washington acquired him,” Solak wrote. “He would return to Dennis Allen’s defense, where the absence of Jaylon Johnson leaves the outside cornerback position unsettled for the Bears. Lattimore isn’t the player he once was but probably would still beat out Tyrique Stevenson for snaps.”

Would Marshon Lattimore Bounce Back With Allen?

Lattimore is a former first-round pick and four-time Pro Bowler who was once viewed as one of the top cornerbacks in the game, but the 29-year-old hasn’t lived up to any such reputation in the past season since he went from New Orleans to Washington.

After a hamstring injury held him back in his first half-season with the Commanders, Lattimore has struggled for their secondary through the first eight games of the 2025 campaign. He has allowed only a 79.8 opposing passer rating in defense, but he has also given up a career-high 14.8 yards per completion, showing rust in man coverage.

For the Bears, the question is: Could Lattimore reuniting with Allen bring him back?

Lattimore has not been a Pro Bowler since 2021, which is also when he last played more than 10 games in a single season, but the Bears could justify the high-risk, high-reward move if they are concerned that Johnson will come back too late for them to compete — or not at all. Worst case, they would have Johnson and Lattimore for the final weeks.

Cost is the big obstacle. Lattimore is under contract through the end of the 2026 season on the five-year, $97 million deal he signed with the New Orleans Saints four years ago. While the Bears would not feel the full weight of his $18 million cap hit for 2025, they would have a whopping $18.5 million cap hit awaiting them in 2026 — which is rough.

Perhaps even too rough for the Bears to consider a late-pick swap.

Can Bears Endure Without Another Big Move at CB?

Lattimore might be outside the reasonable realm of possibility for the Bears at the trade deadline, but can the Bears endure without making 

For starters, it is necessary to acknowledge that the Bears did make a move to improve their cornerback room on Wednesday when they signed veteran C.J. Gardner-Johnson to their 53-man roster. The plan is for Gardner-Johnson to play in the slot until Kyler Gordon is eligible to return from injured reserve in Week 12, but whether he will thrive after bouncing between multiple teams this season remains unclear at this point.

If Gardner-Johnson struggles and the Bears lose to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9, they might decide they can no longer sit around waiting for their personnel to return and make a move before the trade window closes. Don’t forget that Tyrique Stevenson is also nursing a shoulder injury that held him out of Week 8’s loss to Baltimore.

The Bears wouldn’t want a long-term commitment on the trade market, but a short-term fix — even if it costs them the rest of their space in 2025 — could help them out.