The Chicago Bears are coming off a 2025 season that, while it didn’t end with a Lombardi Trophy, offered something fans haven’t had in a long time: real hope. This team finally looks like it’s built to contend-not just for a playoff spot, but for something bigger-and not just in the short term.
The foundation is there. Now comes the hard part: building on it without losing sight of the bigger picture.
That’s the challenge facing general manager Ryan Poles and new head coach Ben Johnson. The Bears are in a position where it’s tempting to go all-in, to make a splashy move that screams “win now.”
But Johnson’s background with the Lions-where a patient, methodical rebuild turned Detroit into a legitimate force-suggests he’ll bring that same measured approach to Chicago. That doesn’t mean the Bears will sit on their hands this offseason.
It just means any aggression will be calculated, not reckless.
And if there’s a side of the ball that needs attention, it’s the defense. Specifically, the defensive line.
Chicago’s pass rush showed flashes in 2025, but the interior of the defensive front remains a weak spot. Gervon Dexter has had moments, putting up solid sack numbers for a defensive tackle, but his overall play has been inconsistent.
Grady Jarrett, brought in with high expectations, didn’t live up to the billing. If the Bears want to take the next step, fortifying the middle of that line has to be a priority.
Enter Dexter Lawrence.
A bold offseason prediction has been floated: the Bears could make a move for the Giants’ star defensive tackle, Dexter Lawrence, potentially sending cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and draft picks to New York in return.
It’s a big swing, no doubt. But it’s not without logic.
Lawrence is one of the most disruptive interior linemen in the league-when healthy. He’s been the heartbeat of the Giants’ defense for years, anchoring the line with a rare blend of size, power, and quickness. His sack totals dipped this past season-just 0.5 after a career-high nine the year before-but that number doesn’t tell the full story.
Look under the hood, and the advanced metrics paint a much more favorable picture. Lawrence posted the seventh-best pass rush grade among defensive tackles, according to PFF (84.5), and ranked in the top 10 in pass rush win rate.
That’s elite company. He may not have finished plays with sacks, but he consistently pushed the pocket and disrupted quarterbacks.
Those are the kinds of traits that don’t always show up on the stat sheet but make a huge difference on Sundays.
As a run defender, Lawrence did take a step back. His PFF grade of 57.0 barely cracked the top 60 at his position.
But context matters. He spent much of the season dealing with double teams and may still have been feeling the effects of an elbow injury that ended his 2024 campaign early.
One down year doesn’t erase the body of work. When healthy and supported, Lawrence is a game-wrecker.
From the Giants’ perspective, there’s at least a conversation to be had. New head coach John Harbaugh reportedly favors long, physical defensive backs-a mold Stevenson fits well. If New York is looking to reshape its secondary and get younger on defense, a deal involving Stevenson and picks could be intriguing.
That said, a trade for Lawrence still feels like a long shot. Multiple reports have suggested the Giants aren’t actively shopping him, but they’re not hanging up the phone either.
According to one front office source, Lawrence’s trade value could land somewhere around a second-round pick and a mid-rounder. So maybe Stevenson isn’t even necessary to get a deal done-just a willingness to part with some draft capital.
For the Bears, this is the kind of move that would signal a serious push toward contention, without necessarily mortgaging the future. Lawrence is still in his prime, and his presence would elevate the entire front seven. It’s the kind of addition that could make life easier for the edge rushers, the linebackers, and even the secondary.
Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson don’t have to make a blockbuster move this offseason. But doing their homework on a player like Lawrence?
That’s just smart team-building. If the price is right, and the fit is there, this is the kind of calculated risk that could pay off in a big way.