By Dan Wiederer, Zac Jackson, Dianna Russini and Jeff Howe

Those hoping the Chicago Bears would make a big splash before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline likely didn’t get the adrenaline rush they wanted when the Bears acquired defensive lineman Joe Tryon-Shoyinka from the Cleveland Browns.

The Bears sent a 2026 sixth-round pick to Cleveland in exchange for Tryon-Shoyinka plus a seventh-rounder, league sources confirmed to The Athletic.

The Bears hope the move can help fortify their defensive front, which has been hit hard by injuries over the past two weeks. On Sunday, starter Dayo Odeyingbo suffered a season-ending tear of his Achilles tendon during the team’s win over the Bengals. A week prior, rookie Shemar Turner was lost for the year with an anterior cruciate ligament tear. Dominique Robinson, meanwhile, remains out with a high ankle sprain, leaving coordinator Dennis Allen to continue reshuffling his rotation up front.

Asked Monday about the possibility of adding depth to the defense, Bears coach Ben Johnson acknowledged the team’s eyes and ears were open.

“You can never have too many pass rushers,” Johnson said. “You can never have too many cover players on the back end either. That’s how I have always felt since I’ve been in this league. I know (GM) Ryan (Poles) and his crew have been doing their due diligence all throughout the fall, all the way up until (the deadline) to make sure we’re turning over every stone to make sure if there’s a way that we can improve this roster, we’ll do that.”

Tryon-Shoyinka played only 31 defensive snaps for the Browns in eight games this season, his first year with the team after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A first-round pick by the Bucs out of Washington in 2021, Tryon-Shoyinka had 15 sacks and 73 quarterback pressures during his time in Tampa. He is a former college teammate of Bears defensive back Kyler Gordon.

What the deal means for the Browns

The Browns viewed Tryon-Shoyinka as a potential impact player in their pass-rush group, but he played more snaps on the punt return unit than he did on defense over his eight games in Cleveland. Cameron Thomas was playing more than Tryon-Shoyinka did, and he’s also on a one-year deal. It’s a sensible, minor move for the Browns, who now have two open spots on their 53-man roster. — Zac Jackson, Browns reporter