Bargain Trade Targets for Bears, Teams Facing Injury Concerns After Week 2

Several teams lost key players due to injuries in Week 2. Some of these clubs will turn to backups to fill short-term voids, though general managers usually make trade calls to maintain roster depth.

Among the biggest injury news, the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders lost their starting quarterbacks. The Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers are dealing with attrition at wide receiver. The Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers may need to restock their backfields for stronger ground games.

Although teams shouldn't hit the panic button this early in the season, it's important to address glaring roster needs and bolster thin spots across the depth chart.

We matched six trade targets to teams that should acquire veteran talent to compensate for recent injuries.

Carolina Panthers: RB Kimani Vidal

AP Photo/Caroline Brehman

Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales told reporters that running back Jonathon Brooks aggravated a groin injury that also cost him practice time at the end of the team's training camp program.

The Panthers have limited Brooks' workload after he returned from a second torn ACL. The third-year pro has logged nine carries for 30 yards while on the field for just 25 percent of the offensive snaps.

Carolina should continue to gradually integrate Brooks into its offense, but his injury history raises major concerns, especially with a re-aggravated issue. AJ Dillon is the only other active running back on the team's roster.

General manager Dan Morgan could inquire about Kimani Vidal, who dropped to third on the depth chart after the Los Angeles Chargers signed Keaton Mitchell this past offseason. 

Last season, Vidal excelled in a lead role, racking up a career-high 643 rushing yards and three touchdowns while Omarion Hampton missed time with an ankle injury.

The Panthers can pair Chuba Hubbard with Vidal to bolster their 20th-ranked ground attack.

Chicago Bears: QB Mason Rudolph

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams went down with a hamstring injury late in last Sunday's outing against the Minnesota Vikings. Backup Tyson Bagent finished the game under center, completing five of nine pass attempts for 54 yards.

According to The Ringer's Tom Pelissero, Williams avoided a major injury, and the Bears aren't ruling him out for their Week 3 Monday Night Football game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Nonetheless, Chicago may need a short-term starter in case Williams' injury lingers longer than expected. Head coach Ben Johnson feels confident in Bagent if he has to play.

"I called plays for him all preseason, so we'll be fine," Johnson said in the postgame press conference. 

Bagent has four career starts from his 2023 rookie season. So, he's certainly capable of solid play in the short term, but if Williams misses multiple games, the Bears should consider a more experienced veteran in case they struggle to move the ball through the air.

Chicago can bring in Mason Rudolph, who's been a backup and fill-in starter for eight seasons. Late in the 2023 campaign, the Pittsburgh Steelers went 3-0 with him under center and made the playoffs.

At 31, with 19 career starts, Rudolph is a proven short-term starter who can steady the Bears offense with solid play.

Indianapolis Colts: WR Elijah Moore

AP Photo/Matt Slocum

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Elijah Moore

In the first quarter of the Indianapolis Colts' Sunday Night Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Alec Pierce hobbled off the field with a heel injury. Keep in mind that he had ankle surgery over the offseason. So, even though ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that X-rays of the wide receiver's heel are negative, the Colts will likely proceed with caution.

Furthermore, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the league could suspend wideout Keenan Allen for a minimum of three games because of his drunk driving arrest in downtown Indianapolis last month.

If the Colts are without Pierce and Allen, they'll need reinforcements at wide receiver. They should take a look at Elijah Moore, who wouldn't cost them much in trade compensation, but still has some upside in his age-26 season.

The Philadelphia Eagles haven't dressed Moore for their first two games. He's buried on the team's depth chart as the seventh receiver.

Moore racked up 446-plus receiving yards in each of his first four campaigns, but he struggled to carve out a consistent role with the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos last season. The sixth-year pro could have a career resurgence with a team that may soon be down a couple of receivers.

Pittsburgh Steelers: RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.

AP Photo/Vera Nieuwenhuis

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle exited early in Week 2 because of a toe injury. He's been inefficient in the Steelers' stagnant offense, averaging just 2.5 yards per carry.

The Steelers haven't featured Jaylen Warren in a workhorse role. Last season was the first in which he's averaged double-digit rush attempts per game. Pittsburgh's new coaching regime may prefer an even split between its top two ball-carriers.

Travis Homer is a career special teamer, and rookie seventh-rounder Eli Heidenreich has yet to record a carry. 

Pittsburgh can survey the trade market for an explosive playmaker to spark its offense, which is averaging a league-worst 3.8 yards per play. 

Because of a rough stretch through the preseason, Tyrone Tracy Jr. has likely fallen out of favor with the New York Giants. He missed a block that allowed a defender to blast quarterback Jaxson Dart for a sack and lost a fumble on one of his two carries in Big Blue's season opener.

Devin Singletary has emerged as the Giants' third-down running back, and Najee Harris is also on the active roster. The Steelers may be able to acquire Tracy for a late-round pick, which is a steal for a player who's accumulated over 1,000 scrimmage yards in each of his first two seasons.

San Francisco 49ers: WR Jerry Jeudy

AP Photo/Kirk Irwin

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy

The San Francisco 49ers have a cluster of injuries at wide receiver. 

Before the 49ers made their roster cuts, they placed Christian Kirk on injured reserve because he strained his calf during training camp. In the season-opener, rookie second-rounder De'Zhaun Stribling suffered an ankle injury and needed surgery. He could miss 10 weeks, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. 

Wagoner also reported that Demarcus Robinson suffered a high ankle sprain in last Sunday's contest, and it "could cost him extended time." Mike Evans left that game early with a hip injury.

With a laundry list of injuries at wideout, the 49ers need a long-term fit at the position. Play-calling head coach Kyle Shanahan may be able to resurrect Jerry Jeudy's career.

Over the offseason, general manager Andrew Berry called Jeudy the "bell cow" of the Browns' receiver corps, but the seventh-year pro has just two catches for 26 yards in two games. Jeudy didn't record a reception in the Browns' 23-19 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2.

Jeudy is only two years removed from a Pro Bowl year in which he caught 90 passes for 1,229 yards and four touchdowns. Still in his prime, the 27-year-old can be an asset to the 49ers' injury-riddled receiver unit.

Washington Commanders: QB Jalen Milroe

AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe

The Washington Commanders should look for a long-term backup to develop behind Jayden Daniels, who has dislocated his elbow in consecutive years. As a slender 6'4", 210-pound signal-caller, Daniels may be prone to injuries with his play style.

Daniels is willing to move outside the pocket and use his legs, which allows him to make spectacular off-script plays, but he now has a concerning injury history in the pros.

In the short-term, Washington will start Marcus Mariota, who turns 33 in October. Looking toward the future, the Commanders should add a young signal-caller who can also mimic Daniels' play style.

Mariota will be a free agent in 2027. Rookie seventh-rounder Athan Kaliakmanis had an impressive showing in the preseason, though Washington can still add a player who had more perceived upside coming out of college.

The Commanders may be able to acquire Jalen Milroe from the Seattle Seahawks if Sam Darnold returns from a glute injury in a week or so. Seattle selected Milroe in the third round of the 2025 draft, but he's third on its depth chart behind Darnold and Drew Lock, who's played well as a fill-in over the last two weeks.

In Washington, Milroe could play meaningful regular-season snaps if Daniels can't stay healthy, which would accelerate his development.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.