The Chicago Bears may have just caught an unexpected break amid NFL rumors about them pursuing four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby in a trade.
Crosby is one of the most widely speculated trade candidates of the 2026 offseason after the contentious way in which his 2025 season ended with Las Vegas. The 28-year-old took issue with the team shutting him down for the final two games of the year in its pursuit of the No. 1 pick, prompting him to abruptly leave the Raiders‘ facility.
The Raiders are also eyeing a thorough rebuild with the No. 1 pick now in their hands, making Crosby and his $106.5 million contract a logical trade asset to add flexibility.
Given Crosby’s uncertainty in Vegas, Bears fans have been clamoring for the team to explore what it might take to bring him to Chicago. And encouragingly, it might only cost them a single premium draft pick, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“It’s not going to be Micah Parsons [compensation] because he was younger,” Rapoport said on February 4’s episode of the Unnecessary Roughness podcast with Q Myers.
“But you know, a late [first-round pick] would be real. And because the Raiders thankfully were bad enough, they don’t have to trade up to get to [No. 1 overall]. They got it. It’s all just capital. If that’s what it is, they’re not going to replace Maxx Crosby. They’re not, you know? Even if they hit on a great pass rusher, they’re still not going to replace him. But what you do is you replace him with a player and use the money to go get other good players and really build up the foundation of your team. For sure, you can make the argument that trading him makes sense.”
If Price is Right, Maxx Crosby Trade is a No-Brainer for Bears
The Bears would have several big factors to consider when weighing a trade for Crosby.
Crosby is the sixth-highest-paid edge rusher in the league in terms of annual value and would carry a cap hit of about $30 million in 2026, which would be challenging for the Bears to take on with defensive linemen owning three of their seven largest cap charges. He will also turn 29 in August and has played through injuries the past two seasons.
That said, if Rapoport is right about the Raiders’ willingness to accept a late first-round pick in exchange for Crosby, you could easily argue it is a no-brainer trade for Chicago.
The Bears could very well end up using their 2026 first-round pick (No. 25 overall) on selecting a new edge rusher for their defense, but it is hard to imagine they would find a rookie capable of making a Crosby-sized impact in his first season. Crosby is not only an elite edge rusher averaging nearly 10 sacks per season over his career, but he is also one of the NFL’s premier run defenders off the edge, making him an every-down disruptor.
The bigger concern about the potential trade compensation required to land Crosby is that the Raiders might want future assets. Bears general manager Ryan Poles is unlikely to consider mortgaging the team’s future on a near-30 pass rusher, no matter how badly the team needs upgrades off the edge. For just 2026’s top pick, though? An easier sell.
Bears Have Means to Free Up Space for Maxx Crosby
Let’s assume that Rapoport is right that a late first-rounder would persuade the Raiders to part ways with Crosby and his expensive contract. Do the Bears — currently projected in the red in terms of cap space — have the means to make room for him on the books?
The short answer is yes, but the longer answer is a bit more complicated.
The Bears can clear a reasonable amount of cap space for 2026 with a series of veteran roster cuts and contract restructures. For example, they would free up $15 million with linebacker Tremaine Edmunds‘ release alone. They can also add north of $20 million in space if they start pulling all of their restructuring levers on their highest-paid veterans.
Chicago, however, will need a good portion of that money to make other moves, such as figuring out its future at safety with both starters scheduled to become free agents.
The Bears might also not want to invest that much in their defensive trenches. Montez Sweat will cost about $25.09 million against the cap in 2026, while Dayo Odeyingbo ($20.5 million) and Grady Jarrett ($18.925) will also account for big slices of the pie. While the latter two added little production in 2025, neither is a viable cut option.
Even still, it would not be impossible for the Bears to justify a trade for Crosby. They would have a lot of money tied up in defensive linemen in 2026, but they could cut ties with any or all three of their current big-money guys in 2027 to avoid the future costs of Crosby’s contract from weighing them down.
For a defensive centerpiece, it might be worth it.
Bears Get Unexpected Break Amid Maxx Crosby Trade Speculation