Chicago Bears receive bad news after major NFL trade

Caleb Williams led the way for the Chicago Bears in 2025. In his second season with the team, the former USC Trojans standout took Chicago’s offense to a whole new level with his elite play as the Bears’ cornerstone quarterback.

Williams set the record for most passing yards in a single season with 3,942. The No. 1 overall pick logged 27 touchdowns with just seven interceptions.

Chicago’s defense also stepped it up last season. They led the league with 33 takeaways, including 23 interceptions. The Bears also kept opponents’ running game at bay, ranking third in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game.

At the same time, however, there’s no denying that the defense still had its shortcomings. This is exactly why Bears fans have been pleading with the front office to make significant upgrades to their defense throughout the offseason.

One player that had piqued the attention of Chicago supporters everywhere is three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.

Chicago Bears lose out on DT Dexter Lawrence

Lawrence has firmly established himself as one of the best defensive tackles in the entire NFL. The 28-year-old was named a Pro Bowler in three of the last four seasons.

Lawrence has spent his entire career with the New York Giants, who selected him 17th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. However, his time in New York officially came to an end on Saturday after the Giants traded him to the Cincinnati Bengals. In exchange, the Bengals sent the 10th overall pick of the upcoming NFL Draft to the Giants.

Draft week blockbuster: The Giants are trading three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals in a deal that will include the 10th overall pick going to New York, per ESPN sources.

The Giants now head into Thursday night with the 5th and 10th overall picks. pic.twitter.com/cV6Qobp6Aq

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 19, 2026

Lawrence’s departure from New York has been a long time coming. The former Clemson Tigers star had reached an impasse on the team after attempting to negotiate a contract extension. Simply put, Lawrence and the Giants just did not see eye to eye on his new deal. This ultimately led to their divorce.

The Bears were heavily linked to a potential trade for Lawrence. Fans have repeatedly urged general manager Ryan Poles to make a move on Lawrence after he was named as a trade target by multiple outlets. The noise got even louder when Lawrence demanded a trade. More than a few Bears supporters reiterated their desire to get him on the team when news broke that the Giants were listening to trade offers.

The bad news for Chicago is that Lawrence is heading to Cincinnati. He would have been an excellent addition to head coach Ben Johnson’s defense and had the makings of a star who could turn the team around with his elite talent.

As it turns out, however, the Giants slapped Lawrence with a massive price tag. The Bengals had to give up the 10th pick to get their hands on Lawrence — a price that the Bears clearly were not willing and able to pay.

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