Rarely do you see players coming off a breakout campaign get released in-season the following year, especially when they're still on their rookie contracts.

Nevertheless, that situation occurred when the Raiders cut ties with third-year defensive tackle Jonah Laulu on Tuesday. Las Vegas claimed the former seventh-round selection off waivers ahead of the 2024 campaign, and he started seven games for the Raiders during his rookie season.

Laulu then took his game to the next level last season. He started 15 games and tied for third on the team in both sacks (4) and TFLs (8). He also played 68% of the defensive snaps (764) and looked like an ascending player in his age-25 campaign.

Unfortunately, Laulu has failed to build on his impressive 2025 campaign to start this season. He played only 110 of 473 (23%) of the Raiders' defensive snaps and was a healthy scratch in two games.

He played the fourth-most snaps among Raiders defensive tackles and was effectively phased out of defensive coordinator Rob Leonard's scheme. The latter fact was a bit surprising considering Leonard was promoted from the team's defensive line coach.

While Laulu's ascension might've gotten firmly halted, he's still only 26 years old. He has some untapped potential and could make an impact elsewhere if he lands in the right scheme. There's reason to believe the Chicago Bears could be a perfect landing spot for him.

The Bears D-line has impressed, but could still use reinforcements

The Bears' defensive line has performed better than expected to begin the season. It was widely considered their most glaring weakness, but they've held their own over the first seven weeks. They're tied for seventh with 19 sacks, although some resulted from defensive coordinator Dennis Allen sending extra rushers from the secondary.

However, many believe Chicago will be in the market for a new defensive lineman ahead of the November 10 trade deadline. A big splash would put them in a position where they wouldn't have to send any extra rushers to get home.

While Laulu might not be as impactful as his former running mate Maxx Crosby, he still showed plenty of promise last season. Notably, the Bears wouldn't have to give up two first-round selections (or any draft picks, for that matter) to get him in the building.

You could also make a strong case that Chicago's need for juice on the interior outweighs their need to add more bodies at defensive end. Montez Sweat will return from his two-game suspension on Monday night, and Daniel Hardy played well in his absence. Meanwhile, they're still looking for some consistency on the interior next to Grady Jarrett.

One team's trash often becomes another team's treasure. Laulu could be that for the Chicago Bears, and they'd be wise to take a flier on him to find out.