The Chicago Bears have some financial hurdles to clear if they mean to pursue Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby in a trade during the 2026 NFL offseason, but the latest projection from ESPN suggests there is a narrow path forward.
The Bears would expectably have interest in Crosby — a Pro Bowler in each of the last five NFL seasons — if the Las Vegas Raiders opened up the phone lines and shopped him in a trade as a means of jumpstarting their rebuild before the new league year.
Unfortunately, Chicago’s cap situation is not ideal for taking on a $30 million cap hit, especially with three of its seven largest 2026 cap hits belonging to defensive linemen. That’s also not counting the high-end draft capital they would give up in the exchange.
Even still, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell projected the Bears could make it work if they could offload “what might be an awful contract extension” with star wide receiver DJ Moore in the process, arguing that Moore and the No. 25 overall pick could get the deal done.
“Poles and the Bears, meanwhile, would be getting out of what might be an awful contract extension and realigning some of their cash toward the weakest part (albeit also one of the most expensive parts) of their roster,” Barnwell wrote on February 16.
“Crosby pushes everyone into the right role, notably [Bears starter Montez] Sweat, who would see far fewer double-teams. Giving up a first-round pick would be painful, and the Bears need to address safety with Jaquan Brisker hitting free agency. But if they think they’re close to making a deeper playoff run, adding Crosby would be one way to leverage Caleb Williams’ rookie-scale salary.”
DJ Moore Could Solve Raiders’ Cash-Spending Issue
For the sake of argument, let’s assume the Raiders are willing to trade Crosby and the Bears are amenable to including Moore in the deal as part of compensation: Would a trade like the one that Barnwell has projected truly make enough sense for both sides?
The Bears have reasons to consider trading Moore. While he is their most experienced wide receiver and under contract for the next four seasons, he will cost an average of $27.5 million per year during that time and is no longer the focal point in their offense under head coach Ben Johnson, who prefers to spread the love between several targets.
The Bears also have an ascending trio of offensive playmakers ready to take the reins in wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III and first-round tight end Colston Loveland, all of whom are under contract with Chicago for at least the next two seasons.
From the Raiders’ perspective, Moore would make sense on two fronts. He would offer a steady veteran presence and a trustworthy starting receiver for their presumed No. 1 overall pick, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Taking on Moore’s hefty contract would also prevent them from falling short of the cash-spending minimum, which they would need to consider before finding a trade partner for Crosby’s $106.5 million deal.
Raiders Expected to ‘Open Up’ Trade Talks for Crosby
The trade chatter surrounding Crosby is unsurprising. He is a premier NFL edge rusher whose team is preparing to undergo yet another rebuild in 2026 as his career window to contend for a Super Bowl continues to shrink. The Raiders also lit the powder keg back in December when they shut down Crosby for the final two games against his wishes.
Even still, the question has remained: Will the Raiders actually trade him away?
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo believes that the Raiders will at least open up the phone lines — and expects at least one other NFC contender to call about a trade for Crosby.
“I would put the [Philadelphia] Eagles in the top three, five, whatever [teams] for Maxx Crosby if and when this thing opens up — and I do believe it’s going to open up,” Garafolo said Friday on The Anthony Gargano show.
If the Raiders start shopping Crosby to other teams, those conversations are most likely to take place next week when the NFL Combine begins on February 23 in Indianapolis.
Bears Projected to Trade Out of ‘Awful’ Deal to Land Maxx Crosby