Dexter Lawrence Trade Rumor Should Have Bears Preparing for Blockbuster Deal

The latest Dexter Lawrence trade rumor is electric news for the Chicago Bears if they are indeed interested in trading for him, which they should be.

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The door continues to open more and more for the Chicago Bears to potentially pull off a blockbuster trade with the New York Giants for Dexter Lawrence.

The door initially opened after reports that Lawrence had asked for a trade from New York because of his desire for a raise, which the two sides had failed to get done over the past few years.

Now, not only does the latest rumor show things aren't looking good for Lawrence and the Giants to get a deal done, it also reveals New York is holding trade talks center around their superstar defender.

Dexter Lawrence trade rumor

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Lawrence and the Giants have "reached an impasse" in contract talks and New York is now talking to teams about a potential trade. Rapoport did not reveal which teams New York is talking to, though, but he did say that there should be a resolution before the 2026 NFL Draft.

"The Giants and star DL Dexter Lawrence, who have been talking about a new big-money extension, have reached an impasse, sources say," Rapoport reported. "The Giants have engaged with teams on a potential trade and that will continue. It should come to a head before the Draft."

Earlier in the day when speaking to reporters in his pre-draft press conference, Giants general manager Joe Schoen made it sound like talks were moving in a positive direction with Lawrence.

"We've had good conversations with his representatives throughout the last five or six days," Schoen said. "I'll echo what coach said last week: We'd like for Dexter to be here, and at some point we'll come to a resolution here, whatever that may be. We'll see. But conversations have been really good, they've been productive and we'll see what happens here down the road."

So much for that.

Why Bears should trade for Lawrence

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles. | David Banks-Imagn Images

The Bears had the sixth-worst run defense and were tied for the seventh-fewest sacks in 2025, and only one interior defensive lineman had more than 1.5 sacks (Gervon Dexter). That's why Chicago's defensive line, both on the interior and the edge, continues to be such a hot topic of conversation.

Lawrence can give Chicago a boost in both of those areas by himself. Granted, he had a down year in 2025, but in the three years prior, Lawrence posted elite Pro Football Focus grades when it comes to run defense and the pass-rush.

Along with 21 sacks in that span, including nine in 2024 and 7.5 in 2022, Lawrence tallied grades of 81.4, 92.6 and 92.4 in the pass-rush, which ranked eighth, first and first among interior linemen. Lawrence's run defense grades (83.8, 89.5, 81.9) were second, third and first at his position.

Is Lawrence's down season in 2025 concerning? Sure, but perhaps his issues are as simple as needing a change from a team that doesn't seem keen on paying him and is losing all the time, to a team that would pay him and give him an opportunity to win.

It's something the Bears should be willing to find out. After all, the team needs an all-in move to make a push for a Super Bowl and acquiring Lawrence, who could make a huge impact, is exactly what the doctor ordered for Chicago.

How much will Lawrence cost?

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Not only will the Bears have to give up draft capital to the Giants, but a new contract for Lawrence will be necessary, also.

We do not believe Lawrence will pass Chris Jones, who is making $31.75 million per. Instead, Lawrence will probably land between Jones and Milton Williams and Jordan Davis, who make $26 million annually.

Even fitting Lawrence's current deal in might seem daunting for a team with just $219,000 in cap space, but as we wrote earlier this offseason, the Bears have avenues via restructures to free up money when needed.

In terms of draft compensation, ESPN's Jordan Raanan reported that teams around the NFL believe Lawrence would command a late first-round pick, at most, and quite possibly as little as a second-rounder. That's where Lawrence's down year is good news for suitors, as he would have cost far more had he been coming off one of the previous three years before 2025.

Well, well, well, guess who has a late first-round pick? That's right, our beloved Bears, who sport the No. 25 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Chicago is also armed with a pair of second-round picks, although both are late in the round.

Now, you tell me: would you rather the Bears address their need on the interior with a first-round draft pick, as so many mocks have had them doing, or with a proven commodity like Lawrence?

The choice is easy. If Lawrence can be had for a late first-round pick, the Bears should absolutely pull the trigger.