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Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby.
The Chicago Bears are a prime candidate to deal for disgruntled Las Vegas Raiders pass-rusher Maxx Crosby, but one prominent team insider asserted recently that a trade is a long shot, at best.
Courtney Cronin of ESPN spoke to what she sees as the unlikelihood that Chicago commits the type of draft capital and salary cap space necessary to acquire the five-time Pro Bowler following the two most injury-impacted campaigns of his NFL career.
“[Is Crosby to Chicago] something to pay attention to? Yes. Something that seems imminent or likely? I don’t think so, for a number of reasons,” Cronin said on the UNSPORTSMANLIKE podcast Thursday, February 19. “I don’t know if the Bears view themselves as, ‘We are just one elite pass-rusher away from winning a Super Bowl,’ when the draft class is as loaded with defensive line talent as it is.”
Chicago owns the Nos. 25 and 57 selections, and the prevailing opinion from the majority of draft analysts is that the Bears will look for a defensive tackle in that spot. An edge-rusher might be even more ideal, but the top three or four pass-rushers are liable to be off the board by then, which should make a the best-available DT a stronger value choice at another position of need.
First-Round Pick, DJ Moore Perhaps Too Steep of Price for Maxx Crosby
GettyChicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore.
Cronin referenced a February 15 article from Bill Barnwell, her ESPN colleague, in which he pitched a trade proposal that would swap Chicago’s No. 25 pick and wide receiver DJ Moore to Las Vegas in exchange for Crosby and a fifth-rounder one year from now.
She implied that such a cost is probably too steep for Crosby.
“You’re on the hook for $61 million of Maxx Crosby’s salary in 2026 and 2027,” Cronin continued. “[The Bears are] $10 million over the cap right now. They’ve got a lot of work they have to do financially to be able to afford things this offseason.”
Crosby is technically under contract through 2029 after recently inking a three-year extension worth $106.5 million.
Caleb Williams, Maxx Crosby Podcast Fueling Rumors of Bears, Raiders Trade
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Cronin also referenced a Tuesday appearance by Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams on The Rush Podcast, which Crosby hosts, noting that the rapport between the two men coming on the heels of Barnwell’s trade suggestion may have overexcited Bears fans and prognosticators.
“I don’t think this has as many legs as people want to infer just based on the fact that the two were seen very comfortably engaging with each other,” Cronin said.
However, the Bears’ defense was among the worst in the league with regards to the pass rush in 2025. Chicago ended the campaign with just 35 total sacks and finished in the bottom five of the league in pass rush win rate (31st) and quick pressures (28th), the latter of which occur inside of 2.5 seconds.
Thus, it is impossible for Chicago to ignore its edge-rush deficiencies this offseason. That will mean either taking a swing on a pass-rusher in the middle rounds who may or may not pan out, and may or may not be ready to contribute Week 1, or spending considerably in free agency for a player like Trey Hendrickson.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
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