As Jonathan Taylor trade rumors continue to swirl, the Chicago Bears reportedly entered the sweepstakes to acquire the disgruntled Indianapolis Colts running back this week, clearly hoping to give third-year quarterback Justin Fields another new weapon.

Taylor, of course, made it crystal clear during the offseason that he had no desire to return to the Colts for a fourth season as he and the franchise that took him with the 41st overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft squabbled over a contract extension. Since the 24-year-old finally got permission to seek a trade on Aug. 21, several teams have been discussed as possible landing spots, some of which might not have what the Colts are looking for in terms of compensation.

Indianapolis is reportedly looking for a first-round pick but could be willing to move Taylor for draft assets that equate to a first-round selection. Either way, the Bears are in a solid position to make this deal if they so choose.

So what exactly could Chicago GM Ryan Poles offer the Colts? Well, he's actually got plenty of options.

For starters, the Bears hold their own first-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft but also own the Carolina Panthers' first pick next year, which they acquired ahead of this year's draft as Carolina wanted Chicago's No. 1 overall pick to select Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.

In addition to the Panthers' first-round pick next year, the Bears also received a second-round pick in 2025 while also acquiring the services of wideout D.J. Moore, who could easily become Justin Fields' No. 1 weapon this season. What that means, overall, for the 2024 draft is that the Bears own two first-round picks, a second-rounder, a third-rounder, two fourth-rounders (their own and Philadelphia's), a fifth-rounder, and a sixth-rounder.

In 2025, Chicago has its own pick in all seven rounds, as well as the aforementioned additional second-rounder from Carolina.

So again, they have options. If Poles isn't willing to part with any of the first-round picks, the flexibility is there to package some of the non-first-rounders for Jonathan Taylor. And if the Colts are looking for some sort of sweetener, D'Onta Foreman, whom the Bears signed in free agency, is a viable option.

Now, is Foreman as big of a threat as Taylor? Of course not. But he still ran for 914 yards and five touchdowns for the Panthers last season while averaging 4.5 yards per carry and that was while starting just nine of 17 games.

The question, of course, is whether or not the Bears want to spend the money on Taylor with a long-term extension. While he may never receive this much, given the current state of running-back salaries in the NFL, Taylor has a market value of around $13 million annually, per Spotrac.

That's roughly three times what Chicago is currently spending on the backfield trio of Foreman, Khalil Herbert, who's the expected starter with David Montgomery now a member of the Detroit Lions, and rookie Roschon Johnson. But if the Bears are genuinely looking to return to a place where they can compete in the NFC, they'll have to seriously consider making this deal.

Could you imagine being an opposing defense and having to deal with Justin Fields and Jonathan Taylor in the same backfield? What a nightmare. But Bears fans, like everyone else watching this saga unfold, now have to wait and see what the Colts are willing to accept.