The Chicago Bears' interest in adding an edge rusher to its injured group has been well-established with the Khalil Mack trade rumors.

But while NFL insider Jordan Schultz confirmed the Bears front office's pursuit of Mack, which will come from competition from the San Francisco 49ers, Schultz also shared intel on Chicago's interest to bolster the secondary.

"San Francisco and Chicago, those were two teams I thought would be really active," Schultz said. "I don't think either team is done. ... The Bears want another pass-rusher and secondary help. I wouldn't rule out another move for either team. There's a lot of Khalil Mack buzz for both clubs."

The Bears have issues with their secondary all season, due to both injuries and inconsistency.

Safety Coby Bryant has been out all year with a knee injury, while nickelback Kyler Gordon missed the first five games of the season with a calf injury. Cornerback Malik Muhammad has a toe injury, while Tyrique Stevenson had a hip injury that cost him the Atlanta Falcons matchup. Safety Cam Lewis has had various injuries since the offseason.

Meanwhile, Stevenson and fellow cornerback Jaylon Johnson have struggled out wide. Chicago's defense has given up 8.7 yards per pass attempt this season, which is the worst in the NFL.

A trade makes sense to stop the bleeding. Is it feasible to pull off a trade for an EDGE and the secondary, though?

If it comes down to it, what do the Bears need more?

Bears Should Prioritize the Edge Over the Secondary at Trade Deadline

Chicago's defense breads its butter by stopping the run. It's probably more important to keep the defensive front stocked with depth than the secondary. A strong pass rush can keep quarterbacks away from chances to do damage against the third level anyway.

While the team has largely survived Dayo Odeyingbo going down with a quad injury and being put on the IR, it can't bank on losing anymore depth along the edge. A Montez Sweat injury would be a doomsday event.

Mack makes all the sense in the world as a target, though one hopes the Niners wouldn't drive his price up too high. The Los Angeles Chargers have been stubborn on the trademark, but are still winless. Reality will hit that franchise sooner rather than later.

If Bears fans had their druthers, Ryan Poles and Co. would fork up enough draft picks to fill every hole on the defense. Caleb Williams and Co. have inspired enough hope on the other side of the ball.

We'll see how Chicago handles the next eight days.

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