The Chicago Bears are entering a must-win game despite it being just Week 4 of the regular season. The Bears are currently winless on the season while coming off two ugly losses to Seattle and Arizona. They are now preparing to match up against the Oakland Raiders and if Chicago cannot get the win, they could be lining themselves up for the top pick in next year's NFL Draft. Getting two stars on offense back would help after getting shutout in Week 3, but losing two defense players might be another setback.
According to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times, both Jay Cutler and Alshon Jeffery returned to practice on Wednesday and participated on a limited basis. That is good sign for the team as both players were sidelined in the loss to the Seahawks while Jeffery has missed the past two games with hamstring issues. The Bears are hopeful to get both players back as the offense would see a major lift in production.
Cutler was expected to sit out two weeks with a strained hamstring, but is making a quicker comeback than expected. The talent drop off from Cutler to Jimmy Clausen is steep and while some Bears' fans might not be the quarterback's biggest fan, it is clear the offense needs the starter back under center. The same can be said for Jeffery who is the leading receiver for the team. Eddie Royal and Marquess Wilson are quality options, but they are not enough to carry the offense, especially with Clausen as the quarterback.
The return of Cutler and Jeffery come as trade talk starts swarming in. Multiple NFL sources including Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com are suggesting that the Bears continue their fire sale of trades that saw high-priced signee Jared Allen head to Carolina and second-round draft pick Jon Bostic move to New England. That has many believing that if the Bears lose one more game, they become sellers very quickly with their biggest asset, Matt Forte, up for grabs.
Losing Forte would signify rebuilding for the Bears, but it could be worth it. The team showed no signs of wanting to give the running back a contract extension last season as he now plays out the final year of his deal. Unless they secretly plan to give him a new deal at the end of this year, Forte could be headed elsewhere. His value is very high and several teams could use him now and not later. Acquiring draft picks for 2016 could be wise for Chicago.
For now, all trade talk is denied. Deals for Forte and Cutler will not enter serious discussion for at least a few more weeks. The Bears have a must-win game right now to focus on. However, losing to Oakland will make that trade talk grow even louder.
