Getting a second chance to trade for a superstar talent doesn't come around often in the NFL, so the Chicago Bears need to take full advantage of that. Reports have widely indicated that they made serious trade offers to acquire Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders. They were initially beaten out as the Baltimore Ravens offered two better first-round picks to get the deal done — until it wasn't done. Crosby reportedly failed his physical with Baltimore, which the Ravens then used to renege on the deal. However, some have speculated the Ravens may have just gotten cold feet and found an out.
The Ravens backing out of the deal gives the Bears newfound life to acquire a star pass rusher, especially with Baltimore pivoting and taking Trey Hendrickson off the free agency market. And it's the perfect window for Chicago and general manager Ryan Poles to take advantage of the situation and bring the Bears Crosby to help establish NFC North supremacy.
Where things stand with a Maxx Crosby trade after Ravens deal falls through
From the Bears' perspective, we know that their offer was seemingly the closest to Baltimore's on the market, offering two first-round picks to the Raiders. Furthermore, insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that Las Vegas was still holding firm to their price tag of two first-round picks for any team looking to acquire Crosby via trade.
Perhaps more importantly for Chicago, the suitors are much less plentiful than they once were. The Cowboys are seemingly out of the running after not making all too competitive of an offer (relatively speaking) before the now-nixed Ravens deal, and the Bills also appear to be out. That leaves the Bears, along with potentially the Eagles and Buccaneers, though their level of interest is far less clear than Chicago's. Sure, sleepers could emerge, but it feels fair to call the Bears the favorite.
And a simple trade should be able to get the deal done for the Bears now, if they're still as bullish as they once were — which they absolutely should be — on acquiring Crosby.
What a Bears-Raiders trade for Maxx Crosby would look like
With the number of suitors that have backed off on a pursuit of Crosby, at least according to the latest rumors and intel, the Bears might be able to pay at least marginally less than they were willing to. Specifically, they might be able to sneak in an early Day 3 pick in next year's draft coming with Crosby from the Raiders while sending their next two first-rounders to Vegas.
Even if that's not necessarily the case, the Bears would likely still be willing to give up their two first-round picks in order to land the star pass rusher this offseason. More importantly, the Raiders simply have to be looking to get this deal done. They can say that Crosby playing in Vegas is still on the table, but after already trying to trade him and with the relationship between player and team already fractured, that still feels like a wholly unlikely outcome.
All that is to say, there are reasons on both sides to recover from the failed Ravens deal and move forward with this new trade if it gets put back on the table.
Why the Bears should swoop in on a Maxx Crosby trade
The Bears defense needs to catch up to the pace that Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson are setting on offense. Make no mistake, Chicago's offense can still progress and get even better, but the defense was largely holding them back in many crucial moments throughout last season. More specifically, though, the front seven needs to get better.
Poles has already made some moves in free agency to help that cause, adding Devin Bush at linebacker and several veterans. But what they still lack is a true, bonafide game-changer on the edge. Montez Sweat is a terrific player, but let's not sit here and pretend that he's Maxx Crosby, someone who can wreck any play, and is equally good against the run and the pass.
Furthermore, this is the exact right time for the Bears to make such an aggressive trade. Sure, you don't want to be trading first-round picks willy-nilly in this league — Chicago actually benefitted from the Panthers doing just that. However, with a franchise quarterback already in the building with Williams, they need to capitalize on his rookie contract window, when they can afford spending big in ways like taking on Crosby's money.
This is a legitimate Super Bowl window with the Williams-Johnson marriage blossoming. Is the 25th pick in the 2026 draft or whatever their first-round pick ends up being in 2027 going to be as impactful as Crosby, one of the best edge rushers in the league? Probably not, which is why this all amounts to the Bears' prime window to make this exact type of move for a proven superstar at a position of need.
Why the Raiders should still be keen to trade Maxx Crosby
Beyond just what I perceive as a completely fractured relationship between Crosby and the Raiders, trading their star pass rusher just simply makes sense on their current timeline. This is a franchise that just hired a new head coach in Klint Kubiak, likely will have No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza incoming at quarterback, and is looking to rebuild an admittedly barren roster.
Not to be too entirely dismissive, but what real use is Crosby to this roster? Even if the Raiders markedly improve under this new regime, they still aren't a win-now team. Crosby will be 29 years old come Week 1 of the 2026 season, and while it's tough to talk about trading a player of his caliber at any point, doing so while he's in his prime and you can get maximum value in return is a good course of action for a rebuilding organization.
While the Ravens might've gotten cold feet, the Raiders should stay the course. They still don't seem on the best of terms with Crosby, and they likely can still get two first-round picks in exchange for the superstar. That's going to set Vegas up for a better future than holding onto Crosby and him eventually starting to see his value on the trade market (and to the Raiders) diminish over the next few seasons.
This is the perfect time to trade Crosby. And if the Bears (or any team) is still out there and willing to give up a king's ransom for him, the Raiders shouldn't hesitate to take advantage of that.