The Chicago Bears took a significant leap forward last season with Ben Johnson taking over as the team’s head coach.
The offensive savant was able to help second-year QB Caleb Williams flip a switch in his second NFL season and the Bears averaged nearly 26 points per game. The quick turnaround from a (5-12) finish in 2024 led Chicago to win the NFC North in 2025 with an (11-6) record.
After beating the Packers in the Wildcard round, the Bears were knocked off in an overtime thriller in the Divisional Round against the Rams, but for the first time in a long time, Chicago appears to be a genuine contender in the NFC for the foreseeable future.
While it’s easy to see the improvements the Bears have made on the offensive side of the ball with Williams and other young emerging standout players like Colston Loveland and Luther Burden, the defensive side of the ball is a different story.
The final four teams in the 2025-26 playoffs all finished the year with a defense ranked in the top 10 in the NFL, which clearly states the importance of that unit even in the modern game where teams are throwing it all over the field.
The Bears need help on defense and are predicted to trade for All-Pro DT Dexter Lawrence
If the Bears are going to take another leap forward in 2026, they are going to have to get better on the defensive side of the ball. Chicago finished last season with the No. 29 overall defense in the league, giving up 361.8 yards per game in the regular season and 380.5 yards per game in the playoffs.
The Bears struggled particularly against the run, allowing 134.5 yards per game and a whopping five yards per carry to opposing running backs.
With struggles against both the run and the pass, the Bears need a dominant defensive linemen who can stuff the middle while also creating havoc for opposing quarterbacks.
Dexter Lawrence has been the focal point of the New York Giants defense over the last few seasons and the 28-year-old All-Pro recently asked for a trade as he’s currently compensated as the No. 12 interior DL despite massive production.
Lawrence’s 27 QB hurries were 15 more than the next Giants DT in 2025, according to PFF. Even with one of the highest double-team rates for any DT in the league, he was also first in total tackles (32) in the run game for the interior group.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton lists the Bears as a contender to trade for the Giants big man. In Moton’s scenario, the Giants would receive a 2026 2nd-round pick and 2026 4th-round pick in exchange for Lawrence.
“The Bears need more help on the defensive line,” Moton said. “Lawrence can provide that and complement Gervon Dexter Sr., who's emerged as a pass-rusher with 11 sacks over the last two seasons.”
“Between Lawrence and Dexter, the Bears would have over 650 pounds of manpower on the interior of their defensive front. Chicago's run defense could improve from 27th in yards allowed to one of the league's most stout units with that big-man combination at defensive tackle.”
Giants new head coach John Harbaugh came out to publicly state he believes the two sides can come to an agreement and keep Lawrence in New York, but if the Bears can find a way to get him to Chicago, it would be an instant significant boost for the defense.