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The New York Giants could make one of the most surprising roster decisions of the 2026 offseason by trading star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, even though he remains one of the most highly regarded interior defenders in football.

“Lawrence has been vocal about his frustration with the lack of success in New York, which could signal a need to change scenery for the 29-year-old. None of the two years and $39.5M remaining on his contract is fully guaranteed, and the Giants would take on a $14M dead cap charge to trade him before the upcoming 2026 draft. With multiple teams needing an interior presence, their phones could light up this offseason. Potential landing spots: Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, Houston Texans.” – Yardbarker Contributor

Obviously, this prediction may come as a shock, but the Giants are building a dominant defensive line and could get a massive haul, especially with the increase in value of interior defensive tackles. Let’s discuss why the Bears are a legit landing spot.

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Despite being regarded as one of the NFL’s premier defensive tackles over the past several seasons, Lawrence’s 2025 campaign was a major statistical step back. He had zero sacks, but his pass-rushing grades were still great.

He has four straight seasons of 81.0 pass rush grade. Analysts are questioning whether Lawrence’s prime years are being wasted in a rebuild that has yet to produce a contender.

Some reports even suggest that while a trade isn’t guaranteed, it “Can’t be ruled out”. “I hedge toward no, Lawrence won’t be traded, but it can’t be ruled out,” NBC Sports’ Connor Hughes reported. “If dealt, the Giants would free $13 million with a $13 million dead charge. That’s not bad. The cap relief plus decent return compensation is something they’d have to consider.”

Why the Chicago Bears?

One of the most logical landing spots for Lawrence would be the Chicago Bears, who have a glaring need for elite interior defensive line play.

Chicago’s current defensive tackle group has been inconsistent, and adding someone of Lawrence’s size, strength, and disruption ability would instantly fortify their run defense and interior pass rush. The Bears need to look at the elite Super Bowl-winning teams like the Eagles, Seahawks, Chiefs, and Buccaneers, all of which had elite defensive tackles.

With Dexter’s contract up after next season, the Giants could free up significant money with a trade, and on Chicago’s side, there is an out on Grady Jarrett’s contract after next season as well.

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