The Chicago Bears were the best offense in the league by a wide margin in Week 1, but the defense was also among the most problematic.
Chicago is clearly going to be able to boat race multiple opponents this season, and do so in different ways, after hanging 59 points on the Carolina Panthers in Week 1. Unfortunately for the Bears, they might have to score 30-40 points to win most weeks unless they do something drastic on defense.
What made the difference last season on a bad defense in Chicago was turnovers, as the unit led the league in takeaways and turnover margin. It is unlikely the Bears can replicate that in 2026 because turnovers are a somewhat fluky stat featuring a prominent element of luck — literally which way the ball bounces.
The potential short-term fix, though, is to spend big ahead of the trade deadline on an impact pass-rusher like Maxx Crosby.
Which team picks up a fumble might be a coin flip, more or less, every time the football hits the ground in any given game. But strip sacks and rushed throws that turn into INTs from terrified QBs watching a freight train like Crosby screaming down on them are much more about skill than luck.
Bears Defense Needs 1-Man Wrecking Crew as Temporary Fix for Poor Roster
Jason LaCanfora of Casino.org on Tuesday, September 15 threw a little gasoline back on the Bears-Crosby trade fire that roared for parts of the offseason and has smoldered quietly on Chicago’s back burner ever since the deal the Las Vegas Raiders made to send the DE to Baltimore fell through in March.
“I’ll ask a different question – can this season be as fruitful as it should be without trading for Raiders edge Maxx Crosby and making a move for a defensive back, perhaps, too?” Canfora wrote after citing an offensive play-caller who questioned whether the Bears have the horses to get a single stop when they really need it.
Crosby’s surgically-repaired knee appeared more than OK in the Raiders’ opening win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday when he tallied three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Maxx Crosby Worth the Steep Price of 2027 First-Round Draft Pick
Crosby went to the Ravens for two first-round picks before Baltimore called the whole thing off based on concerns over how his knee problems might progress into the future. Crosby is 29 years old and under contract through 2029 after inking a three-year extension worth more than $106 million.
Chicago shouldn’t cough up two firsts for Crosby, but a first-round pick and then some might make sense given the team’s needs and what looks like a Super Bowl offense this season.
“According to Sumer Sports, the #Bears pressured Bryce Young on 37% of his drop backs in the first half. Dennis Allen called blitzes on 42% of the passing plays,” Lorin Cox of “Locked on Bears” podcast wrote on X Sunday. “Bears also have a missed tackle rate over 25% so far. Not great.”
If Chicago can lock up a player like Crosby who might be able to make the one or two plays per game that create turnovers or the stop(s) the Bears need so the offense can carry them over the hump, that’s a swing worth taking.
And the team can still hunt an upgrade at defensive tackle early on Day 2 in a loaded upcoming draft if a valuable 2027 first-rounder, plus a mid-round pick in 2028, is what it takes to pry Crosby from the Raiders.
Bears’ Maxx Crosby Trade Rumbles Reignited by NFL Insider After Whacky Week 1