The Bears are calling around the league to see if they can find a trade partner for defensive end Julius Peppers, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. However, as Schefter notes, a deal isn’t likely.
Like Chris Johnson in Tennessee, who is also reportedly on the trade block, Peppers has been viewed as a probable cut for a while now, so it’s hard to imagine any team giving up anything of value to take on his contract, which includes a $13.9MM base salary for 2014. If Chicago were to release the veteran pass rusher, the team would create about $9.82MM in cap savings
Although Peppers’ contract and age (34) may preclude a trade, he should still draw interest if he’s released by Chicago. The former UNC standout has never missed significant time with an injury over the course of his 186-game NFL career, and can still have an impact on defense, having recorded 7.5 sacks with a pair of forced fumbles in 2013.