The Green Bay Packers walked away from Week 1 with an NFC North problem to solve.
Another could be developing elsewhere in the division.
NFL insider Jason La Canfora floated Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby as a trade target the Chicago Bears should consider after their defense was shredded in a 59-37 season-opening win over the Carolina Panthers.
Writing for Casino.org on Sept. 15, La Canfora pointed to Chicago’s inability to consistently pressure Bryce Young and wondered whether the Bears could maximize this season “without trading for Raiders edge Maxx Crosby.”
Chicago visits Lambeau Field on Oct. 11 before the rivals meet again at Soldier Field on Christmas Day. Adding Crosby would place one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers directly in the Packers’ path twice a year.
Bears Have Checked on Crosby
La Canfora’s suggestion is more than a random hypothetical because Chicago has explored Crosby’s availability.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles confirmed in March that Chicago had looked into a deal after Crosby’s planned move from Las Vegas to the Baltimore Ravens fell apart.
“We were involved. We checked into it,” Poles said at the time, per NBC Sports. “We looked to see if it made sense. Had some dialogue. I’ll leave it at that.”
The Raiders ultimately kept Crosby, and the five-time Pro Bowler made his intentions clear when other teams came calling.
Reuters reported Sept. 13 that the Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers all showed interest after the Baltimore deal collapsed.
Crosby rejected those overtures and publicly recommitted to Las Vegas, making any renewed Chicago pursuit complicated.
Crosby is under contract through the 2029 season after signing a three-year, $106.5 million extension in 2025, according to Spotrac, and Las Vegas doesn’t have incentive (barring an exceptional deal with premium draft picks and a legitimate player) to move a cornerstone defender who wants to remain with the franchise.
Still, if circumstances change in Las Vegas, Poles wouldn’t be starting from scratch.
Crosby Would More NFC North Headache for Packers
The Crosby chatter comes after radically different Week 1 results for Green Bay and Chicago.
The Packers opened with a 39-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings after surrendering the final 29 points of the game. Chicago, meanwhile, scored 59 in Carolina and produced 552 yards of offense.
Its defense gave La Canfora pause. Panthers quarterback Bryce Young threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns, while Carolina repeatedly generated chunk plays through the air.
La Canfora called the performance a “red flag” and argued Chicago lacks the type of elite edge presence that can wreck a passing game without relying on turnovers.
Crosby would address that weakness certainly. He entered 2026 with 69.5 career sacks in 110 games, all with the Raiders, and has developed into one of the league’s most disruptive defensive linemen.
The concern for Green Bay would extend beyond Chicago simply improving. Crosby would give the Bears another player specifically capable of affecting Jordan Love and forcing Matt LaFleur to alter protections in two divisional matchups.
There’s no report that Chicago and Las Vegas have reopened trade talks. And Crosby’s stated desire to stay a Raider makes a move far from inevitable.
But La Canfora’s proposal lands differently because of the Bears’ previous interest and what their opener exposed defensively.
Packers Get Bad News With Maxx Crosby Trade Possibility to NFC North Rival