The Chicago Bears made a massive move to acquire Jeffery Simmons ahead of their Week 8 clash in Seattle. It was a decision that clearly displayed their all-in intentions for the 2026 NFL season.

However, many believed they weren't done fortifying the roster for the stretch run. Some believed they could've landed another cornerback or edge rusher on defense, while others thought they might even add a blocking TE with Cole Kmet sidelined for the season.

The cornerback position, specifically, felt like a logical area where they could've improved their depth relatively cheaply. Their lack of urgency spoke loudly about how they feel about their room.

Will they come to regret their passive approach?

The Bears definitely had options at CB (but they weren't great)

Cornerback has been the Bears' most glaring weakness over the first half of the season. Before a strong performance against Tampa Bay, Jaylon Johnson has struggled mightily to begin the season. Tyrique Stevenson's impact has been equally unimpressive.

Chicago was a popular landing spot for Nahshon Wright, who came out of nowhere to make the Pro Bowl with the Bears last season. They probably would've landed him for cheap, as he's still waiting to play his first defensive snap after signing a one-year deal with the Jets this offseason.

With that said, the Bears saw the warts in Wright's game last season. He was downright bad in man coverage and was stiff as a board against shiftier pass-catchers. Would he raise the bar for the cornerback room? Probably not much.

The Bears also could've poached Riq Woolen from Philadelphia or Alontae Taylor from Tennessee, but they also came with serious questions. Woolen hasn't looked great over the past month after a strong start, and they'd probably have to give up a fifth-round pick to get him.

Meanwhile, Taylor (the only option I would've liked if they got him via a late-round pick swap) signed a three-year, $58 million deal this offseason. He'd be cheap this season, but his cap number would jump up to $20.5 million next year. That's a number they could afford by cutting ties with Jaylon Johnson, but it'd limit what they could do in free agency.

The Bears are putting a lot of faith in fourth-round pick Malik Muhammad II, and it's not hard to see why. He's been their best cover man to begin this season.

We've also hardly gotten to see him play with Kyler Gordon at nickelback this season. The veteran nickelback was basically deployed as a glorified edge rusher in his debut against Atlanta, and Muhammad got hurt early in the third quarter of the following matchup against New England.

Notably, we haven't seen Muhammad on the field with Simmons. He was already outperforming expectations, and his life will be substantially easier the next time he takes the field.

Ryan Poles wasn't lying when he said their approach hasn't changed

NFL teams aren't built at the trade deadline (besides the Jacksonville Jaguars, anyway). The good ones are built in April, and the Bears know that. General manager Ryan Poles confirmed they wouldn't be abandoning that philosophy shortly after they acquired Simmons.

Sure, they shipped three draft picks, including two first-rounders, for Simmons (and a fifth-round pick), but that was a unique situation that saw them land one of the league's most dominant defensive linemen. He's signed through 2030, and that move will pay dividends for the duration of his contract.

Chicago has only five draft picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, including two over the first four rounds. It's hard to significantly improve the roster in the offseason (the right way) under those circumstances.

That's also not exactly ample competition when it comes to being players at the trade deadline. Will the Bears regret not mortgaging their future further? Personally, I don't think so. Not with the players that they could've gotten.

Sure, they would've been cheap, but there's a reason for that fact.