Bears hold their roster at the trade deadline as the Vikings bring back Kirk Cousins
Chicago made no moves on deadline day after its Jeffery Simmons trade, while Minnesota reacquired Kirk Cousins from the Raiders.
The Chicago Bears let the NFL trade deadline pass Tuesday without making a move. Their big swing came nearly two weeks earlier. A division rival made the louder deadline-day move: the Minnesota Vikings brought quarterback Kirk Cousins back from the Las Vegas Raiders, as Windy City Gridiron noted in its daily roundup.
The quiet finish made sense given how much Chicago had already spent. On Oct. 29, the Bears acquired defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick from Tennessee. In return, the Titans got first-round picks in 2027 and 2028 plus a 2027 fourth-rounder, according to CBS Sports. CBS gave Chicago an A-minus for the deal and called the Bears the biggest winners of the deadline period. Simmons made an immediate impact, recording a sack and a team-high six tackles in his debut, the 34-17 win at Seattle. With two future first-rounders already gone, general manager Ryan Poles had little reason to trade more draft capital for depth.
The only deadline-week roster news was smaller. The Bears worked out defensive tackle Jordan Elliott, a free agent, according to reports collected by Windy City Gridiron.
Minnesota took the opposite approach. NFL.com reports the Vikings sent a 2027 third-round pick to Las Vegas for Cousins, who started for Minnesota from 2018 through 2023. The move came after a rough Monday night for Carson Wentz in a loss to Buffalo. The Vikings have already beaten Chicago once this season, 9-3 at Soldier Field, so the Bears now have to plan for a different quarterback in the rematch.
What it means for the Saints game
Chicago gets the New Orleans Saints at home on Sunday, Nov. 22 (Fox). At 7-2, the Bears have won four straight, and they have scored at least 27 points in each of those wins. The latest one was tighter than most. They held on to beat Tampa Bay 27-24, a game several outlets described as an ugly win. Across nine games, Chicago has outscored opponents 241-184, though the Packers beat them 31-7 and the Vikings held them to three points. They are 4-1 at Soldier Field, and the only home loss was to Minnesota.
The board has the Bears as heavy favorites, at 9.5 points across the six venues. On the moneyline, Novig prices Chicago at -567, the steepest number listed. DraftKings has the best Bears price at -485. That gap of more than 80 points is wide for a game with this clear a favorite. On the Saints side, Novig has New Orleans at +441 and Kalshi has the longest price at +456. The spread prices are closer together: Novig has Chicago -9.5 at -115, and DraftKings offers -110 at the same number. The total ranges from 48.5 at DraftKings to 49.5 at bet365, which fits a Bears offense that has been putting up points.
Those prices show how the market sees a home game against New Orleans after the deadline. Chicago's moves at this deadline came before deadline day, and the Simmons trade is the one the rest of its season will be measured against. More on the team is at our Bears page.