As the Chicago Bears prepare for their first postseason run since 2018, one issue stands out as the most likely to derail their Super Bowl aspirations: the Bears’ lack of a pass rush. While the NFL’s 2025 Trade deadline ended on November 4th, this team is in a prime position to land a superstar pass rusher in the offseason to complete this team for the future.
GettyThe Chicago Bears have a pass-rush grade of 64.3 according to Pro Football Focus.
Following the Las Vegas Raiders‘ alerting defensive end Maxx Crosby that they were going to shut him down for the rest of the season, Crosby left the building following his disagreement with the team’s decision, according to Bleacher Report. Fox Sports insider and reporter Jay Glazer tweeted that, “This could lead to questions on his future in Vegas.” With Crosby potentially becoming available in 2026, the Bears are the perfect destination for him to land in the offseason via a trade.
Why Chicago Is The Ideal Fit For Maxx Crosby
Chicago currently has the 26th-ranked pass rush in the league, according to Pro Football Focus, and they have only 31 sacks on the season, the seventh fewest in the league. With a premium being placed on a team’s ability to sack the quarterback, this is likely to become an area of emphasis in the offseason for Bears general manager Ryan Poles.
Trey Hendrickson headlines the list of free agent pass rushers in 2026; however, he is 31 years old. Crosby, only 28 years old, would provide the team with a long-term answer as they look to be Super Bowl contenders for years to come.
With star defensive players Micah Parsons and Sauce Gardner being traded during the 2025 season, we have a good estimate on what a trade for Crosby would cost. Both previous trades included two first-round picks and a player. On top of that, both teams had to be able to manage the cap space of the contracts both star players brought with them.
The Bears do currently have the 10th least amount of cap space for 2026, so Poles would have to do some contract restructuring and management in 2026 to handle Cosby’s $35 million cap hit. But Chicago does have the draft capital over the next two seasons to make the base trade.
Beyond all the contractual legistics of why the trade would work, Chicago doesn’t conflict with any divisional or conference issues for Vegas. Being in the NFC makes them a much more likely candidate for trade than to another pass-rush-needy roster in the AFC.
History Has a Chance To Repeat Itself
GettyKhalil Mack recorded 36 sacks across four seasons with the Chicago Bears.
This wouldn’t be the first time that the Raiders would have traded a super star pass rusher to the Bears. Back in 2018, at the time the Oakland Raiders shipped pass-rusher Khalil Mack to Chicago for two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a sixth-round pick. This trade took place despite the Raiders being actively against letting him go, a scenario very similar to the current team with Crosby. But as we have seen, every team has a price. And this time around, Crosby may want out as well.
Although he has never requested a trade and has been openly committed to the Raiders organization, his annoyance with the team might lead him to change his opinion.
Three days before the announcement of his season being over, Crosby spoke to the media on December 23 about the team’s upcoming matchup with the New York Giants. He was asked for his thoughts on the team losing to potentially set them up for the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Crosby balked at the idea, stating, “I don’t give a s—t about the pick, to be honest,” Crosby said in a locker room media session. “I don’t play for that. That’s not my job. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world.”
With Crosby’s reluctance to request a trade potentially shifting and the Raiders likely looking at a reset for the franchise, history could be setting up to repeat itself as the Bears have an opportunity to add the final piece to their roster.
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